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Each year in Poland, approximately 8000 cases of lymphoma are diagnosed (data including chronic lymphocytic leukemia), but patients start treatment too late. Knowing the symptoms of lymphoma increases your chances of being diagnosed early. On September 15, on the occasion of the World Lymphoma Knowledge Day, the “Przebiśnieg” Association will check the knowledge of Poles about these malignant neoplasms of the lymphatic system.
Lymphomas (Latin Lymphoma) are neoplastic diseases originating in the lymphatic system. It is estimated that the number of lymphoma patients worldwide exceeds 1 million. There are approximately 70 types of lymphoma. They are divided into 2 main groups: Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The causes of this cancer are unknown. The risk of developing lymphoma increases with age and most often affects people over 60 years of age. The symptoms associated with lymphomas are often similar to those of a common cold and are therefore neglected. In most cases, the disease is detected only in the advanced stage. Knowing about the symptoms of lymphoma increases your chances of diagnosing the disease early and starting an effective life-saving treatment.
On September 15, on the occasion of the World Lymphoma Awareness Day, the Association of Friends of Lymphoma Patients “Przebiśnieg” will check the state of knowledge of Poles. Street polls will be conducted in Poznań, Kraków and Warsaw, in which interviewers will ask Poles about the knowledge of lymphoma symptoms. During the campaign, the interviewers will also hand out educational materials on lymphoma. “Unmask lymphoma” is the slogan of the nationwide social and educational campaign initiated in May 2008. The primary goal of the activities is to educate the public towards proper diagnosis of the symptoms of lymphatic cancers and not to ignore the disturbing symptoms of the disease. The honorary patron of the campaign was the Polish Oncology Union and Oncology Center, Instytut im. Maria Skłodowskiej-Curie in Warsaw. Roche Polska is the campaign partner.
How do you recognize lymphoma?
The symptoms that signal the presence of lymphoma are non-specific. An additional difficulty in diagnosing lymphomas is that they can arise in organs other than the lymph nodes – for example, in the digestive system. They then give symptoms that resemble other diseases, for example gastric ulcer in lymphoma located in the stomach. Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor about any disturbing symptoms that persist for more than three weeks. The most common manifestation of the disease is a significant enlargement of one or more lymph nodes.
What are lymph nodes?
Together with the spleen and lymph vessels, they form the lymphatic system. Lymph nodes are a protective barrier of the body – they are considered protective filters that stop poisonous substances and bacteria. They cleanse the lymph from harmful foreign bodies and bacteria that may have got into it. Peripheral lymph nodes are located below the surface of the skin and can be felt when examined with the hands. You can feel them: around the ears, on the sides of the neck, in the area above and below the collarbone, in the armpits, in the groin and in the knee area. The remaining lymph nodes are most often located around large blood vessels, e.g. in the central part of the chest, around the trachea, bronchi and aorta, around the liver, spleen, and in the lower abdomen and pelvis near the ovaries and bladder.
In order to make a full diagnosis, it is necessary to determine the course of the disease, i.e. medical interview. The doctor must examine all available lymph nodes, determine their size, cohesiveness, mobility and determine if they are painful. However, in order to be sure of a diagnosis, the suspected lymph node should be surgically collected for histopathological examination. Examination of altered tissues under a microscope is the only reliable way to diagnose this disease. In order to accurately determine the type of lymphoma, it is necessary to: determine the clinical stage, perform complete blood laboratory tests, chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, CT scan of the chest and abdominal cavity (and other locations), magnetic resonance, also perform an examination bone marrow.
What is the treatment of lymphoma patients?
Treatment of people with lymphomas should take place in centers specialized in the treatment of cancers of the immune system. The course of treatment depends, among others on the type and severity of the disease. Due to the wide variety of lymphomas, there are many different treatment regimens. The methods used in the treatment of lymphomas include immunochemotherapy (chemotherapy + targeted therapy), radiation therapy and surgery. The effectiveness of treatment depends, among other things, on on the type of cancer, the stage of the disease and the age of the patient. The later the diagnosis is made, the more difficult the treatment becomes.
The organizers of the campaign “Expose lymphoma” believe that thanks to the conducted educational activities it will be possible to increase the social awareness of lymphomas and thus increase the number of people diagnosed early, and thus reduce mortality.
The World Lymphoma Awareness Day has been celebrated since 2004 on the initiative of Lymphoma Coalition (http://www.lymphomacoalition.org/) – an international organization associating patient associations from around the world. Activities undertaken around the world on the occasion of the World Lymphoma Awareness Day are to disseminate knowledge about cancers of the lymphatic system, their symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods.
Visit the campaign page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zdemaskujch%C5%82oniaka/117912828357761
Organizer:
Association of Friends of Lymphoma Patients “Przebiśnieg” – Association of Friends of Lymphoma Patients “Przebiśnieg” was established at the Hematology Clinic of the University Hospital in Krakow, brings together people who, guided by noble motives, want to help patients with lymphomas. The aim of the Association is, among others: to help patients with lymphatic system diseases and their families and to improve their quality of life, to promote knowledge about diseases of the lymphatic system and methods of their treatment as well as broadly understood oncological issues, to promote the prevention of neoplastic diseases and for the health and social rehabilitation of patients after oncological treatment. More information on the activities of the Association is available on the website: http://www.przebisnieg.org/
Honorary patrons:
http://www.puo.pl/ http://www.coi.pl
Partner: Roche Polska
The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is a leader in providing innovative healthcare solutions. The company’s strength lies in two cooperating departments: pharmacy and diagnostics. Roche, being the world’s largest biotechnology company, provides a wide range of drugs used in therapeutic fields such as oncology, virology, inflammatory, metabolic and central nervous system diseases. The company is also a world leader in the field of in-vitro diagnostics, oncological diagnostics and a pioneer in the field of comprehensive diabetes care. Roche’s strategy focusing on personalized medicine aims to deliver drugs and diagnostic systems that will significantly improve the health, quality of life and prolong life of patients. In 2010, the Roche Group employed more than 80 people worldwide and allocated more than 000 billion Swiss francs to investments in research and development. The company has sales of CHF 9 billion. Genentech (USA) is part of the Roche Group. In addition, the concern has a majority stake in Chugai in Japan. For more information about the Roche Group, please visit www.roche.com
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