Causes and Treatment of Lymphoma Itching

It's not uncommon for patients with some lymphomas to experience itching (clinically known as pruritus). Lymphoma itching symptoms can range from a small, localized itch on the lower legs to systemic itching across the whole body. Additionally, lymphoma itching may also be a symptom indicating liver or kidney problems; namely, the body may not be processing toxins properly.

As always, tell your doctor about the development of any unusual itching you may experience, whether you believe it to be associated with your lymphoma or not.

Causes of Lymphoma Itching

In Hodgkin Lymphoma As many as one in four (25%) people diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma eventually develop an itch, often reported as a burning sensation on the lower legs. As such, lymphoma itching is a rather rare symptom, and since the cause is not known, "Hodgkin's Itch" has become something of a curiosity.

As a potentially more serious systemic or "B" symptom of Hodgkin Lymphoma, itching presents across the entire body as a result of the immune system abnormally releasing histamines (in this case, itching would be accompanied by other B symptoms, such as night sweats, weight loss and fever).

In Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
Itching is a common symptom of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL); namely, in the dry, extremely itchy patches that first develop on the skin.

In Cancer/Lymphoma Treatments
Treatment featuring Interferon, Interleukin-2, or radiation therapy can sometimes lead to chronic itchiness. Itching has also been reported as a side effect of the monoclonal antibody rituximab.

Treatment of Lymphoma Itching

There are no specified treatments for lymphoma itching; rather, treatments are designed to address itch relief and they include:

  • Corticosteroid creams: rubbed into the affected area, they reduce inflammation.
  • Antihistamines: Benadryl is a popular way to treat itching, especially when taken in response to an allergic reaction (rash, hives, wheezing, and shortness of breath).
  • Over-the-counter analgesics: Pain medicines like acetaminophen or aspirin may help alleviate itching if it's painful.

Recommendations for Lymphoma Itching

Talk to your doctor about the best way for you to deal with lymphoma itching. In the meantime:

  • Drink enough liquids so that you keep your body and skin well hydrated.
  • If you want to use a moisturizer, keep it both mild and unscented to prevent added skin irritation.
  • Prolonged contact with or exposure to things such as clothing (friction), shaving, scratching, chemicals in some skin products, and extreme seasonal temperatures, can make the itching worse.
  • Light massage or vibration to itchy areas of the skin can help alleviate the symptoms.

Sources: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma
Photo: Pexels

More Articles

More Articles

Amazon.com is pleased to have the Lymphoma Information Network in the family of Amazon.com associates. We've agreed to ship items...

The question ought to be what are myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), since this is a group of similar blood and bone marrow diseases that...

Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is a very rare and aggressive skin cancer that usually develops when a person is in his or her 70s. It is...

Radiation Therapy Topics

...

At some point, the Seattle biotech company Cell Therapeutics Inc (CTI) should earn an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for utter and...

Site Beginnings

This site was started as Lymphoma Resource Page(s) in 1994. The site was designed to collect lymphoma...

Three papers appearing in the journal Blood and pointing towards a regulator-suppressor pill could offer hope to blood cancer...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a third so-called Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the investigational oral...

The US Food and Drug Administration today has approved an expanded use of Imbruvica (ibrutinib) in patients with...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it has granted "Breakthrough Therapy Designation" for the investigational agent...

According to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team from the University of California, San...

Pharmacyclics has announced that the company has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for...

New research suggests that frontline radioimmunotherapy...

Gilead Sciences has announced results of the company's Phase II study of its investigational compound idelalisib, an oral inhibitor of...

Sitemap