lymphoma /limfō″mə/ [L, lympha + Gk, oma, tumor] , adj., a type of neoplasm of lymphoid tissue that originates in the reticuloendothelial and lymphatic systems. It is usually malignant but in rare cases may be benign. It usually responds to treatment. Kinds include Burkitt’s lymphoma, mycosis fungoides, Hodgkin’s disease, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. ▪ OBSERVATIONS: It is an insidious disorder, beginning as a plaquelike pruritic rash that spreads through the skin and becomes nodular and systemic. The various lymphomas differ in degree of cellular differentiation and content, but the manifestations are similar in all types. Characteristically the appearance of a painless enlarged lymph node or nodes is followed by weakness, fever, weight loss, and anemia. With widespread involvement of lymphoid tissue, the spleen and liver usually enlarge, and GI disturbances, malabsorption, and bone lesions frequently develop. ▪ INTERVENTIONS: Treatment for lymphoma includes intensive radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and biological therapies, including interferon and monoclonal antibodies. ▪ PATIENT CARE CONSIDERATIONS: Hodgkin’s disease lymphomas tend to affect young adults but usually respond to recently developed types of therapy. Non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) usually strikes patients around middle age and can be more difficult to treat. Men are more likely than women to develop lymphoid tumors. There has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome–related NHL, which is attributed to prolonged survival of such patients related to the availability of antiretroviral agents.
