Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes, which is the body’s disease-fighting network.
That network consists of the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and thymus gland.
There are various types of lymphoma, but two main ones: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin.
Both have much better prognoses than many types of cancer.
WHAT IS HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the white blood cells. It is named after Thomas Hodgkin, an English doctor who first identified the disease in 1832.
It affects around 2,000 people each year in the UK, and 8,500 a year in the US.
Hodgkin lymphoma is most common between the ages of 20 and 24, and 75 and 79.
Five-year survival rates:
The survival rates are much more favourable than most other cancers.
- Stage 1: 90%
- Stage 2: 90%
- Stage 3: 80%
- Stage 4: 65%
Symptoms include:
- A painless swelling in the armpits, neck and groin
- Heavy night sweating
- Extreme weight loss
- Itching
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
Risk factors:
- Lowered immunity
- A family history of the condition
- Smokers
- Those who are overweight
Treatment:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Steroids
- Stem cell or bone marrow transplants
WHAT IS NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body but is usually first noticed in the lymph nodes around sufferers’ necks.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma affects around 14,000 new people every year in the UK. In the US, more than 80,000 people are diagnosed annually.
It is more common in males than females, and it is commonly diagnosed either in a patient’s early 20s or after the age of 55.
Five-year survival rates:
Survival can vary widely with NHL.
The general survival rate for five years is 70 percent, and the chance of living 10 years is approximately 60 percent.
Symptoms include:
- Painless swellings in the neck, armpit or groin
- Heavy night sweating
- Unexplained weight loss of more than one-tenth of a person’s body
- Itching
Risk factors:
- Over 75
- Have a weak immune system
- Suffer from coeliac disease
- Have a family history of the condition
- Have had other types of cancer
Treatment:
It depends on the number and locations of the body affected by Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Therapy typically includes chemotherapy.
She added: ‘When I was diagnosed it made sense.’
While she had an inkling that something wasn’t right – she knew she was ‘a tired teenager’ compared to friends – Georgia put it to the back of her mind when Covid-19 hit.
But in October 2022, when she developed a cough so severe that she needed to go to hospital, Georgia was told she had cancer.
Georgia said: ‘I thought my cough was seasonal so ignored it for a few weeks, but I wasn’t improving so I made a GP appointment.
‘They looked at my notes, saw that I had asthma when I was younger and told me to use inhalers for a few weeks.
‘It was getting worse so a few weeks later I rang them again and they asked me how I’d like to proceed.
‘I was only 19 and had no idea. I ended up having an X-ray a few days later.’
Although her X-ray looked abnormal, Georgia was told that it was not especially urgent and she would have a CT scan after Christmas.
Three days before Christmas, however, Georgia’s symptoms had worsened to the extent that she was struggling to breathe, leading her mother to take her to A&E where she had a second chest X-ray.
She explained: ‘I got home from work and couldn’t breathe properly. I had a tingly feeling in my face, pin the needles, chest pain and I couldn’t get any air in.’
‘After waiting for hours and not being able to breathe enough to cough, I sat down with a nurse. He said it could be an infection, but it’s most likely cancer.
‘I hadn’t even registered cancer as an option so I thought that can’t be right. I remember having tunnel vision, I couldn’t really hear anyone, and it was like my senses were gone. I just sat there thinking this can’t be happening.’
Georgia, who had by now been diagnosed with suspected Hodgkin Lymphoma, had another common symptom of cancer which had also gone unnoticed – a lump on her neck near her collarbone.
She recalled: ‘When I developed the cough, I did have a lump on my neck that I didn’t notice.
‘Now when I look back at photos, I can see the lump from maybe two years before I was diagnosed.
‘But because it was so small and grew so gradually, I didn’t ever say anything about it.’
Georgia had also noticed veins were showing across her chest, which she reported to her GP when she spoke to him on the phone.
Her GP failed to make the connection with cancer, suggesting instead that the veins were showing because of Georgia’s persistent coughing.
Yet when she met the consultant, she was told it was because she had ‘a massive mass’ inside her, which was pushing her blood vessels to the surface.
Georgia explained that even when she and her family were looking closely at the veins, they still missed the lump.
FIVE COMMON SIGNS OF CANCER IN YOUNG PEOPLE
• Lumps, bumps and swellings – lumps and swellings can be anywhere on your body.
• Unexplained tiredness – you might feel completely exhausted all of the time – even a good night’s sleep doesn’t help.
• Mole changes – this could be a change in the size, shape, colour or texture of a mole. Or if it starts bleeding.
• Persistent pain – this is extreme pain that doesn’t go away with painkillers.
• Unexplained weight change – this could be weight loss or gain when you haven’t changed your diet, how much you’re exercising or any medication you’re on.
Source: Teenage Cancer Trust
‘That’s how easy it was for us to miss, even though it was huge,’ she added.
Now, looking at a photograph taken two days before her diagnosis, Georgia cannot believe she didn’t notice the lump.
Reflecting on her diagnosis, Georgia said: ‘You hear to check for lumps and bumps in your breasts, but you’re never told to check anywhere else like your neck or lymph nodes, so you wouldn’t.
She had also lost about ten kilograms between the summer of 2022 and Christmas of the same year but didn’t register the weight loss as a sign of something sinister.
Research by Teenage Cancer Trust research has found that just 17 per cent of 13-24-year-olds know the five main warning signs of cancer in young people.
These are: lumps, bumps and swellings; unexplained tiredness; mole changes; persistent pain; and unexplained weight change.
Georgia partly blames herself for not noticing certain symptoms sooner – and her mother also experienced feelings of guilt.
‘You never think it’s going to be cancer and the symptoms can be over a longer period of time than you think,’ she said.
Georgia had six cycles of chemotherapy to treat the suspected Hodgkin lymphoma and was given the all clear in May 2023.
After her remission, she took some time to travel before enrolling at Manchester University where she is studying drama.
Acknowledging that she now feels healthier than ever before, Georgia said: ‘This time last year after treatment I thought “what am I going to do?”
‘I didn’t go to uni after leaving school because I didn’t have any energy to do anything, uni life wasn’t really for me.
‘And then when I was diagnosed it all made sense.’
Georgia is now partnering with Teenage Cancer Trust and calling for other young people to educate themselves on the five most common signs of cancer.
‘I think it’s so important that people of all ages are aware of the signs of cancer, but I hope my story reminds other young people that it can happen to anyone and to get checked out if you think something is wrong.’
