lymphoma awareness day

A while a go I found out about a Lymphoma Awareness Day.. bookmarked it.. then forgot all about it. As it happens it was yesterday. Typical me...day late, dollar short. But in light of awareness day, I thought it might be helpful to make you blog readers, friends and family aware of what Non Hodgkins Lymphoma is and what type I have.

To be honest, if it were me reading this.. and I was suggested to be aware of some type of cancer. I'd click away from the page so fast you'd feel a breeze. But.. if you want to read on.. here are a few links and my short hand way of explaining stuff.

I have Follicular Non Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) Stage 4 Grade 3b(ish - my Oncologist can't decide if it's actually 3a or 3b but leans toward 3b)

What is lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a cancer that affects a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes – immune cells that normally protect you from illness. About 85% of lymphomas are of b-cell origin, and 15% of t-cell origin.  (There are something like 30 different types of Lymphoma...I have Follicular)

Lymphomas result when damage to DNA occurs to a type of white blood cell (a lymphocyte) that results in the abnormal production of proteins that prevents the cells from dying when they should, or causes sustained rapid cell division. 

These malignant cells then may accumulate to form tumors that may enlarge the lymph nodes or spread to other areas of the lymphatic system, such as the spleen or bone marrow. 

Lymphoma cells can also migrate to, or first appear, outside the lymphatic system.  Lymphoma that presents outside the lymphatic system is called extranodal disease.  

(As of now, I do not present in any major organs - but it does present outside the lymphatic system ...which is why it's Stage 4)

What is Follicular non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma?
"Follicular" describes the cell type. B-cells arise from the bone marrow and mature or differentiate into many cell types that migrate to different areas of the body. Normal follicular b-cells reside in the germinal center of lymph nodes. The majority of follicular lymphoma have an indolent (slow growing) clinical course. (me...being the lucky little devil have a more aggressive type..which is why it's Grade 3b)

General Information

In the developed world, lymphoma may not be an extremely common cancer, but is definitely one of the most important. It is one of the commonest causes of cancer related mortality in developed countries. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is one of the few cancers that are showing an upward trend in incidence all over the world. Treatment of lymphomas has undergone a sea of change in the last few decades. Biological treatments with monoclonal antibodies have had the greatest impact in lymphoma than on any other disease. More and more research in lymphoma is spurring newer and newer treatment options.

• In the next decade, Lymphoma might be what sees the most progress with new and innovative treatments. (donate to LLS)
  

• The incidence of NHL increases with age. About 2.4 cases per 100,000 persons occur in 20- to 24-year old individuals. By age 60 to 64, the rates increase more than 19 times to nearly 46.5 cases per 100,000 persons. From ages 80 to 84 the rate increases more than 49-fold to 118.1 cases per 100,000 persons.

• An estimated 20,790 persons will die of lymphoma in the United States in 2009 (19,500 from NHL; 1,290 from Hodgkin lymphoma).

• NHL is the ninth most common cause of cancer death in males and the sixth in females in the United States. 

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has been very helpful to me personally, and I believe in them and what they do as an organization.

If you want to help out with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in any way.. you can walk with me on October 8 in Riverhead or make a donation of any amount to LLS.