26 Jul 2017

Princess Marina Hospital’s Dr Sebathu Chiyapo says it is important for both medical professionals and the public to know and understand the signs and symptoms of lymphomas so that they can be diagnosed as early as possible.

Dr Chiyapo said at the Cancer Association Botswana workshop in Gaborone at News Café on July 25 that cancer awareness campaigns were still running with the aim to educate and inform the public on Lymphoma.

He explained that as doctors, they could tell the difference between Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by examining the cancer cells under a microscope.

He urged the public to help inform and pass on the little knowledge they know about Lymphoma to others to help educate them.

He said for more information on Lymphoma, the public was advised to refer to Lymphoma Coalition global database.

He further said to find out more about treatment options and Lymphomas in general, one could visit the Lymphoma Coalition website at www.lymphomacoalition.org.

Meanwhile, Dr Chiyapo explained that if in examining the cells, the doctor detected the presence of a specific type of abnormal cell called a Reed-Sternberg cell, ‘the lymphoma is classified as Hodgkin’s and if the Reed-Sternberg cell is not present, the lymphoma is classified as non-Hodgkin’s.’

He stated that additional tests may be used to determine the specific type of lymphoma.

“Your type of Lymphoma helps your doctor determine your prognosis and your treatment options as the types of Lymphoma have very different disease courses and treatment choices, so an accurate diagnosis is an integral part of getting the care you need,” he said.

He revealed that the most common symptom of Lymphoma was swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin and in the early stages of the disease, the swelling might not cause discomfort or pain. 

Dr Chiyapo stated that the other symptoms was unexplained weight loss, unexplained fevers, drenching night sweats, lack of energy, fatigue, itchy skin, rash, persistent cough, headaches and dizziness.

“Signs and symptoms of lymphoma are often misdiagnosed as flu, cold or fatigue, which can delay diagnosis,” he said, adding that if left untreated, some Lymphomas can be fatal within a short period of time.

He stated that chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of the two was typically used to treat lymphoma and Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, length of chemotherapy treatment might be up to a year.

“Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation might also sometimes be done under special circumstances,” said Dr Chiyapo, adding that most patients with Lymphoma live long and healthy lives following successful treatment.

He said although “indolent” forms of Lymphoma were not currently curable, the prognosis was still very good and patients might live for 20 years or more following an initial diagnosis.

He mentioned that in certain patients with an indolent form of the disease, treatment might not be necessary until there were signs of progression.

Dr Chiyapo said response to treatment could also change over time as treatment that worked initially might be ineffective the next time, making it necessary to always keep abreast of the latest information on experimental treatment options. ENDS