lymphoma prognosis

Lymphoma

In Belgium, about 1,250 new cases of lymphoma are diagnosed per year, of which about 150 in the 15-29 years. This cancer of the lymphatic system (a system of vessels that carry lymph, a liquid rich in protein and in white blood cells throughout the body) is one of the most frequent in this age range.

Lymphoma and lymphocyte
White cells are blood cells whose role is to defend our body against external aggressions (viruses, bacteria, etc.). They're the little soldiers in our immune system.

There are 3 main types of white blood cells: granulocytes, monocytes and lymphocytes. In contrast to leukemias that still originate in bone marrow, lymphomas develop rather from lymphocytes (T or B). The latter are mainly found in the lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, stomach, skin, etc. So many areas where lymphoma can develop.

Several types of lymphoma
Two large families of lymphoma are distinguished: Hodgkin's lymphoma (also known as Hodgkin's disease/lymphoma) and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. We classify them in 4 stages, from the most localized to the most disseminated, which allow to choose the most suitable treatment.

Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease)
In Belgium, about 250 new cases of Hodgkin's disease per year are diagnosed, of which nearly 90 in the 15-29-year-olds. The prognosis for this cancer is good, if not very good. In stages I and II (localized forms), 95% of patients can be cured. In the more severe forms (stages III and IV) and thanks to recent advances in medicine, 70% of patients are remissioned.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in Belgium are diagnosed with a thousand lymphomas per year, of which about 60 in the 15-29 years. There are about thirty different non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Some are severe but curable, others are almost benign, but difficult to heal.

The most common non-Hodgkin lymphomas are:
Diffuse lymphoma with large B cells (30 to 40% of cases) mainly affects adults from 55 to 60 years of age. More aggressive than other lymphomas, however, it can be cured in 70% of cases, with intensive treatments.
Follicular lymphoma (20 to 30% of cases) is less "nasty" than other lymphomas. It does not threaten the patient's life in the short term, but is difficult to treat and requires repeated treatment.
Rare lymphomas include Burkitt's lymphoma, MALT lymphoma, etc.