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Other Hodgkin's Titles:
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Adult Hodgkin's Lymphoma
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Hodgkin's has a long and rich history. The disease was named after Thomas Hodgkin (1798-1866), a English scholar and Quaker physician working at Guy's Hospital in England. Lymphatic disease was first described |
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in 1666 by Malpighi although it was in Hodgkin's 1832 paper On Some Morbid Appearances of the Absorbent Glands and Spleen that cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma were well documented. Hodgkin's name was attached to the disease in 1865 in a paper by Wilks. Hodgkin's Lymphoma Timeline What now differentiates Hodgkin's lymphoma is the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells (and variations on this cell) in the cancerous area, a cell specific to Hodgkin's Lymphoma. There is definitive evidence that the the cancerous cells are of B-cell lymphocyte (white blood cell) origin. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) also appears to be a factor, at least in some cases - appearing in about 40-50% of Hodgkin's cases. Hodgkin's may be more prevalent in people who have contracted infectious mononucleosis. Also there are links between Hodgkin's and the measles virus. It has recently been found that Interleukin-13, a natural cytokine in the body, may be overproduced by Hodgkin's cancerous cells. What causes Hodgkin's lymphoma is still being researched. Hodgkin's can occur in children and adults. It is more common in two age groups - early adulthood (ages 15-40, usually around 25-30) and late adulthood (after 55). This lymphoma is rare in children under 5. About 10% to 15% of cases are diagnosed in children 16 years old and younger. Hodgkin's lymphoma is not contagious and the patient does not pose a risk to others in any way. Many sources point out that the diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin's has improved remarkably in recent years. Hodgkin's now has a high survival rate. Some doctors (like one I had in London) even go so far as to say a diagnosis of Hodgkin's is preferable to being diagnosed with another form of cancer although thinking like this may belittle the seriousness of any cancer diagnosis. Further Reading on Adult Hodgkin's Disease:
For Information on Childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma: The Main Page - your guide to support and more: References: Books
Thomas Hodgkin:
The lymph system: lymph system overview
Hereditary Risk: US NCBI Paper on Hereditary Hodgkin'sGeneral: American Cancer Society - What is Hodgkin's Disease?, Key Statistics This page is a work in progress. The author is not in the medical field and does not warrant the correctness of the material on this page or the sites linked - please take online information and consult with your own medical team to make informed decisions. Copyright © 1996- 2005 Lymphoma Information Network - All Rights Reservedhttp://www.LymphomaInfo.net/ Updated November 18, 2005 |
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