Follicular variety of lymphoma belongs to the group of non-Hodgkin's lymphocytes. This is a fairly rare pathology, for which typically slow progression and favorable predictions.
Follicular lymphocytic lesions mainly affect mature patients, in persons under 30 and children, this lymphoma is practically not observed. Nodular lymphoma is most often affected by men over 60 who have a weak immune status due to the presence of hereditary pathologies of a systemic nature.
What is follicular lymphoma?
Follicular lymphoblasts are formed from B-lymphocyte cells formed in the follicles of the lymph nodes. Follicles are localized areas of lymphoid tissues that produce lymphocyte cells that perform the basic functions of immunity.
Reasons for
There are many reasons that can provoke the development of follicular lymphocytes:
- Various anomalies due to genetic mutation;
- Immunodeficiency pathologies;
- Obesity;
- Autoimmune pathologies;
- Employment in hazardous production, involving contact with pesticides and chemicals;
- Long-term therapy with immunosuppressants;
- Radiation exposure;
- Tobacco smoking;
- Aggressive ecology.
Symptoms
The clinical picture of follicular lymphatic formation at the initial stage of pathology is characterized by asymptomatic development, which makes early diagnosis difficult.
A characteristic feature of the lymphatic follicular tumor is the growth of the lymph nodes. To the touch of the lymph nodes are soft, with palpation do not cause pain. During the development of education, lymph nodes can periodically decrease, then increase again.
Usually, pathological processes begin with the lymph nodes located on the neck, then the lesion spreads to the lymph nodes in the inguinal and axillary zones.
The photo shows an increase in lymph nodes in follicular lymphoma
Follicular lymphoma is characterized by general symptoms like:
- Fever;
- Weight loss;
- Chronic fatigue, etc.
Often follicular lymphoma is characterized by the growth of lymph nodes located in the chest, which is accompanied by compression of the respiratory tract, threatening dyspnea or cough, and sometimes increased swelling of the chest and face.
Follicular lymphoma can cause intraorganic lesions. If the tumor affects the spleen, then in the hypochondrium on the left there is soreness and heaviness.
The defeat of intra-abdominal lymph nodes provokes epigastric pain and problems with stools. If the lymphatic tumor begins to expand, then the stomach of the patient increases noticeably. At the terminal stage, lesions reach the bone marrow structures, which immediately affects the nervous system functions, manifested by convulsions, fainting, nauseous-emetic syndrome and headaches.
Classification of
Follicular lymphocytes are divided into several types:
- Diffuse ( follicular cells less than 25%);
- Follicular-diffuse ( the proportion of follicles is 25-75%);
- Follicular ( follicles 75% or more).
Specialists believe that the diffuse type of tumor is more aggressive, although it has a positive reaction to the therapy used. Follicular-diffuse and follicular lymphocytes almost do not cure.
Diagnosis
Diagnostic process begins with a medical examination, after which the specialist sends the patient to the study:
- Laboratory blood tests, biochemistry, oncomarkers;
- Biopsy of bone marrow and lymph node tissue;
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- Computer tomography study;
- Ultrasound examination;
- If necessary, spinal puncture is additionally performed.
Treatment of
Therapeutic tactics depends on the specific stage of the lymphoma. In the initial stages, follicular lymphomas are more likely to respond to treatment than at the terminal stage.
In general, for the early stages of the most effective combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy. For this, drugs like Cyclophosphan, Vincristine, Doxorubicin, Prednisolone are used.
Waiting tactics are often used. Such lymphomas are characterized by slow development. After the first symptoms are detected, and before the formation of full-fledged lymphoma can take years 10.
In the third stage, irradiation is no longer used, because it loses its effectiveness. In case of complications such as pancytopenia, when the proportion of all blood components decreases, bone marrow transplantation is necessary.
After a course of polychemotherapy, the patient's body needs immunostimulating treatment, which is performed under conditions of increased sterility, in order to avoid infectious complications.
Often in the treatment of follicular lymphocytes monoclonal antibodies are used. Such therapy is called targeted. The most popular drugs for this therapy are Retuximab or MabThera. These drugs selectively affect only malignant cellular structures, destroying them, and also reduce the consequences of chemotherapy.
Surgical intervention is possible only at the initial stages, when the pathology is localized.
Forecast
In general, favorable tumors in follicular lymphoma are characterized by tumors with stage 1-2 development. Survival is about 90%.For stage 3, the predictions are not so optimistic - survival is characteristic of only half of the oncological patients.
Often the fatal outcome comes as a result of secondary infection, because a weakened organism can not cope with the infection.