Definition:
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a certain type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) which is most common among the group (about one in four reported cases). It is a lymphoma (or cancer) of the B-lymphocytes. Average age of patients are in their sixty's but it can occur at anytime in one's adult life. It is both commonly equal in women and men.
Diagnosis:
This is diagnosed by having an enlarged lymph node (or a part) removed for biopsy. Other needed tests may be x-rays, scans, and blood tests.
Treatment:
Effective treatments for follicular lymphoma are radiotherapy, steroid therapy, chemotherapy, and interferon injections.
Symptoms and Signs:
Initial signs are painless swellings in the neck, armpit, or groin. This is due to the enlargement of the lymph nodes. Other symptoms people may experience are profuse night sweating, high temperatures, and sudden weight loss. These symptoms are classified as B symptoms.
Causes:
Specific causes of follicular lymphoma are still unknown. However, translocation is mainly associated with the development of this condition. When translocation between one's chromosome fourteen and eighteen occurs, the bcl2 gene experiences an overexpression. An overexpression of the bcl2gene is an identified cause of apoptosis (or blockage), or programmed cell death. Like cancer, it is not infectious neither communicable as a disease.
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