Free Research Paper On Hodgkin Disease

Hodgkin's disease or Hodgkin lymphoma is a kind of lymphoma or cancer occurring in the lymphatic system of the human body. Lymphatic system forms part of the immune system of the body. Cancer originates from the white blood cells, also called lymphocytes, and grows abnormally spreading to other parts of the body. The progress of Hodgkin’s disease adversely influences the ability of the body to fight diseases. The disease is known after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who first identified the disease. Since Hodgkin’s disease is the cancer of the lymphatic system, understanding the functioning of the lymphatic system helps understand the disease better.
The lymphatic system, which helps the body fight diseases, helps with fluid movement in the body. The lymphoid tissue, lymphatic vessels and lymph form the human lymphatic system. The lymphoid tissue is found in various parts of the body and therefore the disease can begin anywhere in the body. Lymphoid tissue consists of lymph nodes, which are nothing but bean-sized clusters of lymphocytes and other cells associated with the body’s immune system found in many parts of the body including chest, pelvis and abdomen. Lymph nodes as small lumps are often felt under the skin in areas like armpits, neck and groin. Lymphatic vessels connect lymph nodes with each other. The Lymph is a clear fluid that moves through the lymphatic system of the body, carrying waste materials and surplus fluid from the tissues, lymphocytes and other cells of the immune system (“What is Hodgkin Disease”). The lymph nodes enlarge when they fight an infection in the body. For example, a person with a sore throat has an enlarged neck lymph node that may hurt upon touch. The lymphoid tissues and lymph nodes are present in many body parts like spleen, bone marrow, digestive tract, thymus and adenoids and tonsils. Mostly, the disease starts in lymph nodes present in the upper body parts like the chest, armpits and neck. Hodgkin disease gradually spreads from one lymph node to the other through the lymph vessel. At a later stage, the disease invades the blood stream in addition to spreading to other vital parts like the liver, bone marrow and lungs.
The common symptom of Hodgkin’s disease is swelling of the lymph nodes, which is often painless. Some other signs of the disease include night sweats, fatigue, persistent cough, itchy skin, unexplained weight loss and fever, enlarged spleen and painful lymph nodes after alcohol consumption. Even though these symptoms could be due to some other body conditions, thorough diagnosis is essential to confirm the disease (Herndon, 2012). Biopsy of the lymph node and bone marrow by taking sample tissues from the lymph node and bone marrow and testing for the possible existence of abnormal cells is the common procedure associated with the diagnosis of the disease. Treatment of Hodgkin’s disease mainly depends upon the stage of the sickness. Chemotherapy by administering drugs either orally or intravenously to kill the infected cells and applying high-energy radiation to kill the cancerous cells are the two important treatment choices available for treating the disease. In cases where chemotherapy and radiation do not give enough response, stem cell replacement, which involves replacement of cancerous blood producing cells with healthy blood producing cells, along with intensive chemotherapy is tried for better response. Advancement in the treatment methods of Hodgkin’s disease has significantly increased the survival rate of the disease during the past decades.

References

Herndon, J. (2012, July 9). Hodgkin's Disease. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www. healthline.com/health/hodgkins-lymphoma#Overview1
What is Hodgkin Disease. (2015, March 4). Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.cancer. org/cancer/hodgkindisease/detailedguide/hodgkin-disease-what-is-hodgkin-disease