An overview: What are lymphomas?

The word cancer refers to a set of different diseases. You only have one thing in common: the uncontrolled division of cells. What emerges is in many cancers, a solid tumor to tumor German. The malignant lymphomas, however, can be distributed because of the structure of the lymphatic system with individual cells throughout the body. Some of them then have the appearance of leukemia, with many white blood cell blood count. You can also occur as large as a single lymph node swelling and tumors in appearance, especially in some organs such as the stomach, bones or skin.

Today we know that the reason for the development of cancer in a change in the genetic material of individual cells. In general, many factors, external and internal work together to transform a cell into a cancer cell. As little as there is one cancer, so little one can speak of a cancer cause. The final common pathway of these disorders is always a loss of control of cell growth. This leads to uncontrolled cell division and loss of each cell type for the really typical properties.

What risk factors lead to cancer?
External influences such as tobacco smoke, ultraviolet rays of the sun, radiation, certain molds on foods, poor diet, physical inactivity and obesity, some viral infections and some chemicals involved in the development of cancer, a more or less important role. However, you can not be held responsible and have sole responsibility for any cancer. But now, the malignant lymphoma is an important example: It is true that some possible causes discussed, designate clear connections but even experts in the lymphomas because of the current evidence reluctantly. Also, general statistical statements about disease triggers can often be difficult to transfer the individual fate. For most people, it therefore remains unclear why they are suffering from a malignant lymphoma.

Structure and function of the lymphatic system

The lymphatic system is spread to its tissues and cells throughout the body. It forms part of the immune system. Even with the blood-forming bone marrow, the lymphatic system is closely related. Its purpose is to defend against pathogens and other foreign substances invading the body, also the cleaning and decontamination of the body's waste products, such as cell debris.
Lymphatic tissue

Belong to the lymphatic system

* The lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes that run through the whole body, also
* The spleen and
* Specialized tissues in the gastrointestinal tract and the throat. In the body are many lymph nodes regular groups. Together they surrounded one particular organ and usually manage to also become a common Hauptlymphgefäß: These groups are also called lymph nodes.
* In childhood and youth still plays situated behind the sternum thymus a large role in "training" of cells of the immune system in adults but it is almost completely converted into fat.

The "organ" lymphatic system is also

* The lymph fluid that flows around each cell in the body and transported to the lymphatics. It acts as a transport medium for no longer needed, as well as materials used in the body, such as cell debris.
* The lymph vessels take the lymph to collect them and lead them eventually into the bloodstream. In her walk but also some cells of the immune system to their destination.
* Upstream are lymph nodes, they serve as a filter station.


Lymphocytes: immune system cells

Lymphoma cells of the lymphatic system are concerned. They are called lymphocytes. As the white blood cells they belong to the white blood cells in a healthy condition and have key responsibilities in the immune response.

Lymphocytes migrate through the blood and lymph throughout the body. According to their function and development can be divided into two main classes, the B-lymphocytes and T lymphocytes:

The stem cells of all lymphocytes - as well as the other blood cells - develop and grow, first in the bone marrow. The B of B lymphocytes is the English name Bone marrow = bone marrow: This type of lymphocyte matures there up to be fully functional immune cells.
At T-lymphocyte maturation is the other hand, outside the bone marrow only in the thymus. B and T cells interact in their defense tasks and communicate via cell hormones, called cytokines. These signal substances, the cells can communicate and activate each other. An overview of the immune system and its functions has compiled the Cancer Information Service here.

Cancers of the lymphatic system

The term "malignant lymphoma" means "malicious Lymphknotengeschwülste. This term covers a large number of different diseases is summarized. We distinguish Hodgkin's lymphoma (including Hodgkin or Hodgkin's disease) by the large group of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) - these are all malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin's lymphoma are not divided into the aggressive and low-grade or indolent forms.

Among the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma also - despite the name -

* Chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Similarly, in the course, but rare is the so-called hairy cell leukemia.
* MALT lymphomas occur most frequently in the digestive tract,
* The cutaneous T-cell lymphomas affect the skin.
* Multiple myeloma (multiple myeloma) can form a low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, bone tumors.

The different types of lymphoma show significant differences in the disease process and require very different treatment strategies, ranging from expectant observation without proper therapy to the most aggressive forms of chemotherapy, which make even a stem cell transplant is necessary. Progress hoping lymphoma specialists and of new drugs from the molecular biological research.

Classifications

Thus, doctors and experts in exchanging information about the different types of lymphoma can communicate more clearly and unambiguously, disease stage and are now classified according to the so-called WHO-scheme of the World Health Organization. It has replaced the previously common in Germany Kiel classification. For patients who have developed some time ago, is also useful for a comparison of old and new names in a table. The Competence Network Malignant Lymphomas has under www.lymphome.de/InfoLymphome/
PathologieUndKlassifikation / index.jsp this table provided
Frequency and occurrence

Malignant lymphomas in comparison to solid tumors such as breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer more often. In the year in Germany some 6,400 men and 6,300 women in the various non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are diseases of old age - in women the disease is found in section 70 and men about 67 years. In recent decades, the incidence of these diseases has increased, and the reasons for this are not known. However, lymphomas are now recognized and recorded much better than before, so that the statistical increase is possibly explicable. To Hodgkin's disease diagnosed in Germany each year about 2,000 people. The age distribution seen in Hodgkin's disease is different than for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: Heaped patients diagnosed between 15 and 35 Age, another group until between the 60th and 75 Of age. Correspondingly low and rather less meaningful is the average age at the time of diagnosis, it is for men 46 and women at 41 years. More on the frequency and age distribution of the lymphoma society of Cancer Registries and the Robert Koch Institute in the brochure "Cancer in Germany" have published. It is available online at www.gekid.de.