Lymphoma survival rates have more than doubled from 40% in the 1960s to 88% today. In 2016, there are expected to be approximately 81,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States. Find more statistics on lymphoma and other cancers here.
More than 500 lymph nodes exist in the human body, all interconnected via a network of lymph vessels. Most lymph nodes are clustered in the chest, abdomen, armpits, neck, and groin. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, NHL, can develop in any lymph node and can also affect the lungs, liver, stomach, and other extranodal organs.
Lymphomas are categorized by several factors – type of lymphocyte, cell size, and the cancer growth rate. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma includes all variations of lymphoma except for Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of an abnormal Reed-Sternberg cell lymphocyte. “The main difference between Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is in the specific lymphocyte each involves,” writes the Mayo Clinic. Hodgkin’s lymphoma rarely metastasizes to other organs, grows more slowly, and is more responsive to radiation and chemotherapy than Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
There are more than thirty different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, broken down into aggressive, fast-growing, high grade, and indolent, slow-growing, low grade lymphomas. Find more information on lymphomas here. Because of the spectrum of NHL, treatments are much more complex and are often less responsive to radiation and chemotherapy than that of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The number of types of NHL means that it can involve multiple organs and can have symptoms that are often non-specific. Many times the symptoms parallel those of a cold, the flu, or respiratory infections. The similarity of lymphoma symptoms to those of common illnesses often delay discovery.
Night sweats, chills, fever, persistent lethargy, and feelings of tiredness are all common symptoms of lymphoma. Many of our customers suffer from lymphoma. One customer emailed about the effectiveness of Wicked Sheets when dealing with her husband’s night sweats as a result of lymphoma treatment. “I gave your information to my husband’s oncologist. He was well aware of the medications used the treat malignancies,” in her words, causing, “monster night sweats.”
“Certainly solved our problem," she added.
At Wicked Sheets, we know the importance of rehabilitative sleep during cancer treatment. Please share our information if you know someone who could benefit from a cooler, drier night’s sleep.
