Hodgkin’s Disease
What is Hodgkin’s disease?
Hodgkin’s disease is named for Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who described several cases of the cancer within the lymph system in 1832. Hodgkin’s disease is a type of lymphoma. Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, which is the body system responsible for fighting off infections and keeping one healthy. It is the third most common type of cancer in kids and teens ages 10 to 14 but is still very rare for kids to get (The Nemours Foundation, 2011).
What causes Hodgkin’s disease?
No one really knows what causes Hodgkin’s disease, but it cannot be caused by getting someone else’s germs or by eating the wrong foods. The risk of Hodgkin’s is slightly increased among family members of patients who carry the disease (The Nemours Foundation, 2011).
How does Hodgkin’s disease affect the body?
Hodgkin's disease affects the body's cells. Healthy cells grow, divide, and replace themselves in an orderly manner. This process keeps the body in good repair. In Hodgkin's disease, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and can spread to other organs. As the disease progresses, the body is less able to fight infection (The Nemours Foundation, 2011).
What about detection and prevention?
Hodgkin’s disease presents symptoms similar to those of the flu – fever, aches, and swollen glands. One may also feel tired or sweat excessively during the night or losing weight without trying. One may also enlarged or swollen lymph glands in the neck or armpits. Swollen lymph nodes in the chest may cause cough, pains in the chest, or difficult breathing. If the doctor suspects Hodgkin’s disease, he or she will probably test the blood or take x-rays or a CT scan which can take pictures of the lymph nodes and spleen. A biopsy may be ordered, a test where doctors remove a tiny portion of lymph
