Lymphoma- gastric non Hodgkins type
Overview
A very rare form of malignant stomach cancer involving lymph tissue
Symptoms
* Abdominal mass * Abdominal pain * Anemia * Abdominal bleeding * Stomach perforation * Abdominal obstruction * Abdominal mass
Causes
The cause of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is unknown, although some theories suggest a viral source. Since the early 1970s, the incidence of these lymphomas has increased more than 80%, with about 53,000 new cases appearing annually in the United States. The reason for the increase is unknown, although it has been partly attributed to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are two to three times more common in males than in females and occur in all age-groups. Compared to Hodgkin's disease, they occur about one to three times more often and cause twice as many deaths in children younger than age 15. Incidence rises with age (median age is 50). These lymphomas seem linked to certain races and ethnic groups, with increased incidence in whites and people of Jewish ancestry.
Treatment
Radiation therapy is used mainly in the early localized stage of the disease. Total nodal irradiation is generally effective for both nodular and diffuse histologies. Chemotherapy is most effective with multiple combinations of antineoplastic agents. For example, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, Adriamycin, and prednisone can induce a complete remission in 70% to 80% of patients with nodular histology and in 20% to 55% of patients with diffuse histology. Other combinations — such as methotrexate, bleomycin, Adriamycin, Cytoxan, Oncovin, and prednisone (M-BACOP) — induce prolonged remission and sometimes cure the diffuse form.