The lymph nodes play a vital role in helping heal your body. As you can imagine, getting cancer in the lymph nodes can have a devastating effect. However, survival rates for many forms of lymph node cancer are actually pretty positive: up to 95 percent of diagnosed patients live past five years. This can be attributed to the myriad possible treatments for lymph node cancer.
Lymph Node Cancer
Your lymph nodes are responsible for filtering and trapping foreign objects in the body. They also produce the white blood cells that fight against bodily infections and viruses. When the lymph nodes become corrupted with cancer, it is known as a form of lymphoma. Lymphoma also involves cancer of the cells in lymphomatic tissues and fluids also living in your body. Most lymph node cancers are classified as Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin. This distinction is miniscule, separated only by the presence of certain proteins in Hodgkin lymphoma; but it is significant in the way it can change the treatment plan. Within Non Hodgkin lymphoma, there are several variants that receive treatment based on molecular shape, location, and duration of existence.
Surgery
Surgery can be performed on lymph node cancer types that are heavily localized. Burkitt's syndrome is an example of a rapidly developing yet localized form of Non Hodgkin lymphoma. If caught in the early stages, which are signified by heavy swelling in the abdominal area, surgery can remove the cancerous tumors that block the digestive tract. Sometimes surgically removing the infected lymph node is the only treatment needed.
Chemotherapy
In addition to surgery, chemotherapy can provide an effective back up to kill any remaining cancer cells in the lymph nodes or lymphatic system. Chemotherapy involves the ingestion or intravenous delivery of chemical compounds designed to seek out cancer cells and destroy them by altering their genetic make -up or inhibiting their reproductive system. The University of Maryland Medical center website states that even late-stage Non Hodgkin lymphoma can be effectively treated with chemotherapy.
When chemotherapy is applied, it is usually done in three or four-week cycles, with periods of rest in between. The rest is needed because chemotherapy is known to cause heavy fatigue on the body and mind. There is also a risk that white blood cell counts can drop even further since the treatment affects the entire lymphatic system. Common chemotherapy drugs used for lymph node cancer treatments include CHOP and Fludarabine.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is as its name implies: the application of radiation to the body. In the case of lymph node cancer, radiation is externally applied to the affected area as precisely as possible. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill off cancer cells and tumors without damaging any other surrounding tissue. Again, this is very effective with localized cancerous lymph nodes. With brachytherapy, radioactive material would be intravenously placed next to the affected area.
Immunotherapy
For some forms of lymph node cancer, biological therapy (immunotherapy) is most effective. Medications containing Rituximab are monoclonal antibodies that can trigger the body's immune system to respond strongly against cancer cells. The antibodies bind to antigen proteins in the cancer cells, making them weak against a healthy immune system. This attack will last so long as the body doesn't become resistant to the Rituximab.
Tags: lymph node, cancer cells, lymph node cancer, lymph nodes, Hodgkin lymphoma