Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: A Rare Form of Cancer
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) represents a diverse group of cancers caused by exposure to benzene that encompass any lymphoma with the exception to Hodgkins lymphoma. Although several types of non-Hodgkins lymphoma are known, they are generally characterized by the rate at which they progress.
Lymphoma is a rare type of cancer that is derived from lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell. There are many subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that have been discovered over the years by researchers, but they are all generally grouped by the rate of their progression and their overall aggressiveness.
Less aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin lymphomas could be grouped in with other chronic diseases, and these can last for many, many years depending upon how effective treatment is. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be treated by combinations of chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy, radiation, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Non-hodgkin lymphoma’s less aggressive forms can be lingering, and a patient’s life can be affected through an undetermined number of years. The more aggressive forms of this illness, on the other hand, can be briskly fatal.
Benzene Exposure’s Link to Lymphoma
A form of cancer that evolves from a type of white blood cell called lymphocyte, lymphoma has first been discovered and distinguished by Thomas Hodgkins in 1832.
Between 1956 and 1966, The Rappaport classification, which was proposed by Henry Rappaport, became the accepted classification of lymphomas other than Hodgkin’s. Following the publication of the Rappaport classification in 1982, NHL helped define three additional types of lymphoma.
Doctors and researchers in modern times have started to look into the possibility of a common link between benzene and lymphoma. Primarily used in drugs, pesticides and rubber, benzene has already been established as a carcinogen.
A majority of those who have been exposed to benzene have developed some form of leukemia, which has greatly altered their lives and in some cases, has even taken them. When people are exposed to this carcinogen over an extended period of time, they typically develop some sort of health condition without even realizing they were being put at risk.
Symptoms Related with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Patients with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma experience a number of symptoms such as:
*Painless lymph nodes in specific body parts
*Night sweats
*Chest pain and abdominal swelling
*Weight loss that is unexplainable

