Our regularly-scheduled interlude:

In between my long series of posts on a certain topic, I like to sprinkle in something else that has caught my attention in the news. On one occasion it was about a local politician who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of cancer that originates in white blood cells. The cells themselves become abnormal and start to rapidly divide into tumors within the lymph nodes of our body. The resulting tumors have the potential to release abnormal white blood cells into the bloodstream, as white blood cells are a very important part of our immune system that search our bodies for foreign agents.

The main difference between Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is that in Hodgkins, a very special cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell, is present. If this cell is not present, then it is classified as Non-Hodgkins, where only abnormal B-cells are present.
Staging is based upon extent of node involvement: how many AND where the affected nodes are, and how far from the point-of-origin node. Also, the presence of other tumors and where they are with respect to the original tumor is a factor.

Because staging of this cancer is dependent upon numerous factors, there are a myriad of treatment options. If the cancer is slow-growing, a wait and see approach might be adopted. Radiation, Chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, and other therapies targeted specifically to the abnormal B-cells are also viable treatments.