With treatment, stage 4 lymphoma survival rate (for five years) is 74%.
Staging helps provide a treatment roadmap for your healthcare provider.
This article will discuss the main types of lymphoma and the symptoms associated with stage 4.
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It will also cover the treatments you might expect, and the estimated stage 4 lymphoma survival rate.
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Types of Lymphoma
There are many types and subtypes of this disease.
The two main forms are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the more common kind.
Lymphoma is because of cancerous changes in lymphocytes.
There are several subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Classic Hodgkin lymphoma is the most common form of this disease.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can start in either B lymphocytes or T lymphocytes.
Indolent lymphomas spread (metastasize) slowly.
The most common form of indolent lymphoma is follicular lymphoma.
Aggressive lymphomas metastasize rapidly.
The most common form of aggressive lymphoma is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Diagnosing Stages of Lymphoma
There are several diagnostic tests used to determine the lymphoma stage.
Testing can also help determine how you’re responding to your current treatment for this disease.
These tests vary, based on your symptoms.
Swollen or enlarged lymph nodeswill be biopsied (sampled) to confirm a diagnosis of Hodgkins or non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
In many instances, the entirelymph nodewill be removed for laboratory testing.
This ensures that enough tissue is available for analysis and diagnosis.
Abone marrow aspiration and biopsywill be done to determine if cancer has spread to the bones.
Usually, the bone marrow is taken from the hip bone for this test.
Lymphoma can cause fluid buildup in these and other areas of the body.
These tests use fluid extracted from the abdomen or chest to look for cancer cells.
Imaging tests will be done to identify enlarged lymph nodes and organs where cancer may have spread.
You may not notice you have swollen lymph nodes until you’re in the later stages of the disease.
If it has spread to the chest, you may have chest pain or trouble breathing.
If it is affecting your stomach, you may have nausea or pain in that area.
You may also feel full after eating very little food.
A group of symptoms known asB symptomsmay be diagnosed in stages 2, 3, or 4.
They also include the goals of treatment, your age, overall health, and personal preferences.
Treatments during stage 4 are typically designed to shrink or eradicate (destroy completely) tumors.
Treatment at this stage may includepalliative care(reduces the discomfort of symptoms but is not curative).
Your response to treatment will be monitored throughout with imaging tests.
There are many different types of chemotherapy drugs.
Immunotherapymay be administered, with or without chemotherapy.
They are reinfused and target the lymphoma cells.
Targeted therapymay be used when the cancerous cells have certain characteristics.
Targeted therapy drugs hone in on the proteins on cancer cells that control their growth and spread.
This treatment works differently than chemo.
It may be effective when chemotherapy does not produce good results.
Stem cell transplants help your bone marrow produce healthy cells.
Stage 4 Lymphoma Survival Rate
Lymphoma is not a cookie-cutter disease.
Many factors may have an impact on your potential prognosis.
Your response to treatment, age, and overall health all play a role.
The number of lymph node areas or organs affected may also have an impact.
However, stage 4 lymphoma is treatable and many people live for many years after getting this diagnosis.
Specific factors include
Summary
The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Stage 4 lymphoma is treatable.
Aggressive rounds of chemotherapy are often given as a first-line treatment for lymphoma at this stage.
These figures are estimates and not necessarily predictions of what will happen in your case.
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