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Follicular lymphoma is as a Non-Hodgkin lymphoma that will grow slowly and in most cases shows little or no symptoms, even found in its later stages. This sort of lymphoma is probably the more general B-cell, or white blood cell, Non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The cancer can start in the lymph nodes, and even though shows few or no symptoms in the patient, it affects areas of the body such as the bone marrow, the blood, the liver, the spleen or other organs. The cancer is considered follicular lymphoma because the lymph nodes it affects develop as spherical objects, or "follicles" using a microscopic lens. It generally is seen in people 55 years and older, and it strikes men and women equally. The cause of the lymphoma normally isn't known, nonetheless researchers are examining the influence of a relocation of chromosomes 14 and 18 on the bcl-2 gene. Ordinarily a patient shows very little signs that he or she has follicular lymphoma. When signs do occur, they often show up first as a bulging in the neck, the groin or the armpit due to enlarged lymph nodes. The puffiness typically shouldn't be painful. Eventually symptoms may include a high fever, fatigue, sweating and unexplained weight-loss. A lymph node examination can decide whether follicular lymphoma is present. If it is, blood tests, CT scans and bone marrow checks can certainly help determine the lymphoma's level and grade. The tests can even determine which areas or groups of lymph nodes are infected. The follicular lymphoma condition is categorized as Grade 1, 2, or 3 dependant upon the ratio of centroblasts, or larger cells, to centrocytes, or small cells, located in the lymph nodes. Grade three is additionally divided into 3a and 3b, depending on whether centrocytes are still sometimes existing, or the centroblasts are predominant. In addition, the lymphoma can be classified as Stage I, II, III or IV, indicating how much the lymphoma has spread. Stage I lymphoma is contained to one band of lymph nodes or area of organ tissue. Stage IV lymphoma has dispersed through many different organs, like the liver, the blood and the bone marrow. Given that follicular lymphoma is a slow-moving cancer, individuals with a more developed stage or grade of the condition may still need minimal treatment if they have few or no symptoms. Oftentimes, carefully tracking the progress of the disease is the most beneficial option because treatments will not prolong the patient's lifetime and tend to cause side effects. When treatment solutions are required, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are often used with positive results. Monoclonal antibody therapy has now developed into a treatment option with the introduction of the FDA-approved drug Rituximab. Several therapies that are used less often include certain drug therapies and radiotherapy, that uses high-energy rays to obliterate the cancer cells without destroying good cells. A stem cell transplant is normally a possible treatment option; however, a patient's health and age ought to be taken into account when considering this form of treatment. Approximately 75 percent of patients diagnosed with follicular lymphoma survive for about 5 years following treatment. The typical period of survival is ten years. Usually patients who have been treated for the lymphoma can have sometimes multiple reoccurrences of the disease. Treatment normally successfully eradicates ongoing bouts of the cancer, and patients often live years undergoing cycles of treatment and remission. Looking for mantle cell lymphoma treatment? The Nebraska Medical Center offers all treatments for any ailment. They have the best cardiac surgeon. Visit NebraskaMed.com for more information.
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