A cancer diagnosis can be one of the most frightening, difficult moments of your life – but no matter what you’re facing, remember that you’re never in the fight alone. At OC CyberKnife, we help patients battle even the most severe forms of cancer every day, and we proudly provide some of the most advanced cancer treatments on the market today from our world-class cancer center. We can treat almost any form of cancer, including all types and stages of lymphoma.
Lymphoma refers to cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that makes of the immune system. Lymphoma is different from many cancers in that it doesn’t form tumors per se – instead, the lymphocytes grow abnormally and out of control, clogging up the lymph system.
Lymphoma is a complex condition with more than 60 individual subtypes, but speaking broadly, lymphoma is divided into two main forms: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Hodgkin lymphoma is identified by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells, a type of giant cancer cells, while non-Hodgkin lymphoma does not produce these cells.
As with many cancers, the severity of lymphoma is evaluated using a staging system. The stage of the cancer describes the advancement of the disease and how far it has spread, which sheds light on how serious the condition is and affects the potential treatments. Doctors determine the stage of lymphoma by evaluating the number of lymph nodes with cancer cells, the spread of the cancer cells through the body, and the extent to which the cancer has infected other organs. While staging varies depending on the specific type of lymphoma, the general stages run as follows:
Fighting lymphoma is hard – but with a world-class team of cancer doctors on your side, you have the best chances possible at recovery. If you’re ready to take the first step in beating cancer and reclaiming your life, we can help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start the road to recovery. We can’t wait to hear from you.