Cell Lymphoma Symptoms
Lymphoma is basically a type of cancer that develops in the lymphocytes; the lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell, which means that they are part of the immune system. Lymphoma often originates in the lymph nodes where it causes the node to become enlarged and develop a tumor. The word “cell lymphoma” is often used by lay people; however this term doesn’t really mean anything. Lymphoma always affects lymphocytes, which are of course white blood cells. Therefore, lymphoma is in a sense always cell lymphoma the question is which specific cells are affected. Depending upon which lymphocytes are affected, you can have B-cell lymphoma, T-cell lymphoma, mixed cell lymphoma, or one of several other types. There are many ways of classifying lymphomas, based on different criteria, but the most recent one is the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, which is becoming the most common classification method.
The most common symptoms of lymphoma is the enlargement of the lymph nodes. In a large majority of cases, the cervical and supraclavicular nodes present in the neck and shoulders, are the ones that are affected. In some cases, the lymph nodes in the chest may also become enlarged. This enlargement is usually painless, and can be noticed only when the area in question is palpated.
Often, other internal organs may also be affected, specifically the spleen and the liver. Enlargement of the liver is relatively rare, but spleen enlargement is quite common, although it is not constant the size of the spleen fluctuates over the course of the disease.
If pain is present, it usually affects the lower back, and is difficult to locate precisely. In addition to this, a large number of lymphoma cases involve symptoms such as fever and night sweats. The fever is usually low, but is noticeable. Weight loss and skin lesions, both rather typical symptoms of many cancers, also occur in many cases of lymphoma. Lymphoma also affects platelet counts in the blood, due to which blood clotting is hindered. Bleeding may therefore occur very easily, even from minor skin injuries.
In addition to this, many other symptoms are possible, depending on the type of lymphoma. For example, gastric lymphoma, which is quite rare, causes abdominal pain and a feeling of fullness upon consuming even small amounts of food. Primary CNS lymphomas (PCNSLs), which are quite common in HIV related cases of lymphoma, also involve seizures and headaches, as well as other neurological symptoms.
