Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease is a type of cancer that occurs in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a key part of the immunization system of the human body.

Hodgkin’s disease triggers in the white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes protect the body from germs and infections. In Hodgkin’s disease, the cells of the lymphatic system multiply abnormally and grow out of control. Thus, leading to cancer. With the progress of the diseases, the human body loses the power to fight infections.

Hodgkin’s disease can trigger regardless of age; however, it is more common among the people aged between 20 and 40 and over the age of 50.

Diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease
The diagnostic process of Hodgkin’s disease includes multiple steps. Doctors usually analyze complete family and personal medical history of the patient to start the process of diagnosis. Based on the outcomes of the analysis, doctors usually suggest the patients undergo the below-listed procedures and tests to confirm Hodgkin’s disease.

• Physical examination – As part of the physical examination of Hodgkin’s disease, doctors usually look out for swollen lymph nodes across the underarms, neck, and groin. Further, physical examination also includes finding if there are swollen lymph nodes in the spleen or the liver.
• Blood tests – Patients also undergo blood tests to find out any possibility of cancer in the collected blood sample.
• Imaging tests – Further, to confirm the symptoms of Hodgkin’s disease, doctors also prescribe various imaging tests. These imaging tests may include emission tomography, computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and X-ray-based scans.
• Lymph node biopsy – Doctors may also recommend lymph node biopsy to confirm Hodgkin’s disease. In this process, a lymph node is removed for laboratory testing. During the test, if any abnormal cells are found, which are known as Reed-Stenberg cells, the doctors may confirm it as Hodgkin’s disease.
• Bone marrow biopsy – The doctor may also recommend one to undergo a bone marrow biopsy. In the procedure of bone marrow biopsy and aspiration, a sample of the bone marrow is removed with the help of needle from the hip bone of the patient. The collected sample is primarily used for the test to find if there is any abnormal growth of lymphoma cells.

Post completion of the above diagnostic procedure and the identification of the symptoms, the staging of Hodgkin’s disease is performed. Based on the progress and severity of symptoms, Hodgkin’s disease has been categorized into four stages, namely, stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV.

Treatment of Hodgkin’s disease
The treatment of Hodgkin’s disease is primarily decided based on the symptoms and the stage of the disease. The doctors suggest the below treatment procedures with a goal to destroy the maximum number of cancer cells to control the disease.

• Chemotherapy – It’s a drug-based treatment which uses chemicals to kill the cancerous lymphoma cells. In chemotherapy, drug traveling along with the bloodstream reach various parts of the body.
• Radiation therapy – During radiation therapy, various high-energy beams such as X-rays are used to kill the cancerous lymphoma cells. In certain cases, for example, to treat classical Hodgkin’s disease, radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy.
• Bone marrow transplant – In advanced stages, to treat Hodgkin’s disease, doctors also recommend bone marrow transplant. In this process, the infected stem cells are replaced with healthy ones.

Post-treatment of Hodgkin’s disease, a regular check-up is of utmost importance. Hence, one must ensure to adhere to suggestions and instructions of their doctor.