Burkitt Lymphoma: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

One of the rarest forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Burkitt Lymphoma is indeed an aggressive disease and a form of cancer that spreads extremely fast. This form of cancer constitute in 2 percent of all lymphoma disease. The inception of this disease lies in B-lymphocytes cells of the immune system that deals with producing antibodies to fight against the disease. This disease is most common in young children and adults, more in males. Burkitt Lymphoma named after a British surgeon Denis Burkitt are categorised into different types. Sporadic cancer that occurs mostly in adult lymphomas results in the formation of large-sized tumours in the abdomen and also in the reproductive organs of both men and women.

Immunodeficiency associated lymphoma disorder are common for patients suffering from human immunodeficiency virus- HIV’s or AIDS. Also for people taking immune suppressive medicine for a long time may result in this disease. On the other hand, Endemic Burkitt lymphomas generally occur in the jawbone, facial bones and also lymph bones situated around the neck and the head.

The common symptoms that indicate the growth of Burkitt Lymphomas are swollen lymph nodes, sudden weight loss, drastic loss of appetite, fever, fatigue and night sweats. However, symptoms do vary from person to person. A person suffering from Burkitt Lymphomas may experience certain structural disfigurement in the jaw or the face.

One of the worst characteristics of this disease is that it gets spread very quickly capturing the nervous system and the brain. There remain high chances of getting paralysed if not treated immediately.

Burkitt lymphoma is a fatal disease that gives the victim very less time to undergo treatment. Thus, in case you come across any unusual symptoms that seem hassle in your daily life, you must consider consulting a doctor.

The first step of the doctor would be to accumulate all information and medical history of the patient. Based on the symptoms, the doctor is supposed to ask the patient to undergo some test in a bid to evaluate the condition. One of the common test prescribed is a biopsy of the infected area. In this test, a sample tissue from the affected area is taken and tested under a microscope. Other tests prescribed by the doctor include CT scan for pelvis, abdomen and chest, HIV disease test, spinal fluid test, bone marrow biopsy, liver and kidney functioning test and gallium scan test.

If your test speaks presence of Burkitt lymphomas, the doctor would immediately ask you to get admitted to a hospital. Patients suffering from this disease require immediate treatment and that too in a hospital environment. This is because chemotherapy requires a hospital stay and especially for a disease that may spread to the fluid in the brain and the spinal cord, inthrathecal chemotherapy treatment is required. Generally, there are three different approaches of chemotherapy used in this disease. These are intensive, short duration regimes and CALGB 9251 protocol.

Radiation and steroid therapy are also used to fight Birttik cancer.

A person suffering from Burttik Lymphomas cancer should immediately take this treatment.

A person not experiencing any unusual symptoms or rather not diagnosed to have Burttik lymphomas is not eligible for the treatment.

The treatment of Burttik Lymphomas rests in various sessions of chemotherapy, radiation or steroid therapy. Few severe side effects of chemo and radiation therapy include fatigue, excessive hair loss, bleeding and bruising, anaemia, vomiting, nausea, constipation and a huge change in appetite habits.

Chemotherapy happens to kill or destroy hair follicles, cells that rest in the mouth, reproductive system and the digestive tract. Often it severely affects the nervous system, kidney and the liver too.

A necessity to maintain a restricted life is essential for patients after the treatment of the disease. Besides frequent check-up, the person must follow few post-treatment guidelines to maintain a healthy and risk-free life. The victim should quit smoking or alcohol intake entirely. At the same time, a strict and healthy diet should be maintained. The diet should include leafy vegetables and less amount of meat.

The person should invest enough time in exercise so that he/she can stay active. This is because a recovering cancer patient should never experience stress, even at the slightest level.

The recovery depends on the severity of the condition. In case of rightly diagnosed and treated immediately, chances of recovery take around 6 weeks post the treatment. However, in case neglected and not treated, it gets quickly spread to the fluid in the brain and the nervous system and may cause death.

Burttik Lymphomas, being a fatal disease requires treatment at a very early stage. In other words, proper treatment provided to the patient no soon being diagnosed thus restraining the spread of cancer throughout the body may lead to complete recovery. On the other hand, if diagnosed at the last stage, Burttik Lymphomas might not effect to any treatment.