Help….
Question:
Dominick, Swollen lymph node could mean either Hodkins disease or Non-Hodkins lymphoma if the biopsy shows the node to be cancerous. Both are cancer of the lymph system. Hogkins disease has a much better cure rate with up to 90% cure rate depending on how the cancer is staged. Non-hogkins lymphoma is much more serious, and has a lower remision rate. Both are treated with radiation and chemotherapy. My 27 year old son is being treated now for Hogkins and doing well. More info about various cancers can be found at: hhp://caduceus.medinfo.org/nci/cancernet/21200013.html (This might be the address for breast cancer since I also have breast cancer and I was looking for info about it.) Sara
Response:
Can someone enlighten me about what cancerous lymph nodes means….
Neoplasms are classified as benign or malignant, the latter being called cancer in general, which are composed of carcinoma and sarcoma (see "The Biopsy Report -A Patient’s Guide" written by Dr. Ed Uthmann and posted monthly here). The cancer proliferates in the primary organ (in your mother’s case, colon), invades directly to the neighboring organs, and/or spreads to the regional lymph nodes via lymphatic vessels or to the liver via vein. If pathologists confirm positive lymph nodes under microscope, it indicates that the cancer is in more advanced stage than the one that localized within the primary site. However, this does not necessarily mean that the patient is in desperate situation (= the survival rate is not bad)!! A. Hasegawa, MD diagnostic pathologist
Response:
I am hoping someone can give me information… My Mom recently went through surgery for colon cancer. The surgeon removed the growth and said it didn’t appear to have spread anywhere else, but he did notice swollen lymph nodes. He said the swollen lymph nodes might not be a bad thing, but the test results will show more. If the lymph nodes are cancerous, she will have to have chemotherapy and/or radiation. Can someone enlighten me about what cancerous lymph nodes means….I really don’t know what to think at this point. Everything is so confusing.. Please reply by e-mail (and posting for anyone else who has this question), I just don’t want to miss any responses. Thanks for all and any help you can provide…. Dominick
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am hoping someone can give me information… My Mom recently went through surgery for colon cancer. The surgeon removed the growth and said it didn’t appear to have spread anywhere else, but he did notice swollen lymph nodes. He said the swollen lymph nodes might not be a bad thing, but the test results will show more. If the lymph nodes are cancerous, she will have to have chemotherapy and/or radiation. Can someone enlighten me about what cancerous lymph nodes means….I really don’t know what to think at this point. Everything is so confusing.. Please reply by e-mail (and posting for anyone else who has this question), I just don’t want to miss any responses. Thanks for all and any help you can provide…. Dominick
Dear Dominick, Cancerous lymph nodes would mean that the colon cancer has spread to those lymph nodes that showed cancer. The reason it is important to know if the cancer has spread is that if it has, then chemo and radiation may stop any further spread, and may be curative. If there is no cancer detectable aside from the tumor that was removed, then she may not need further treatment, though she will have to be watched very carefully for any recurrence of the cancer. You may be interested in a wonderful listserver support group for people with colorectal cancer and their relatives or friends. To subscribe, send e-mail as follows: Message: subscribe colon First-Name Last-Name To view/search list archives: browse http://medinfo.com/lists/cancer Hope your Mom does well. –Lucy
