An Overview of Hodgkin’s Disease and How New Hope Medical Center Can Help Those Who Suffer From This Cancer

It is estimated that in 2008, 8,220 men and women were diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin’s disease. Of the total cases, 4,400 of them involved men and 3,820 of these cases involved women (National Cancer Institute).

This type of cancer starts in the lymphatic system, a part of the body’s entire immune system. The lymphatic system consists of the body’s organs and tissues that fight infections and other diseases by producing, storing, and carrying white blood cells. The lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, thymus, and lymphatic vessels all make up the lymph system. Hodgkin’s disease was named after the British physician Thomas Hodgkin, who in 1832 first described this disease and its differentiating characteristics from other lymphomas.

Hodgkin’s disease occurs when the lymphatic system’s cells grow abnormally and as this abnormal cell growth progresses, the body has a hard time fighting off infection. Hodgkin’s disease is one of two types of cancers that can affect the lymphatic system. Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is less common than non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is different in that the presence of an abnormal cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell becomes abnormal and copies itself, producing extra cells collectively called a tumor. In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the abnormal cells form but the cell that starts growing abnormally is not referred to as the Reed-Sternberg cell.

Symptoms of Hodgkin’s disease include, but are not limited to, overall lymph node swelling in the neck, underarms, or groin, unexplained weight loss, recurring fevers, coughing and chest pain, itchy skin, night sweats, loss of appetite, and overall weakness and fatigue that do not leave the body. Some people, however, experience few if any symptoms at all. Diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease can be done after doctors perform exams and tests including a physical exam, blood test, and/or chest x-rays. A biopsy can also be performed. This is the only sure way to determine whether a person has this type of cancer. During a biopsy, a doctor removes part of all of a lymph node and examines it under a microscope, searching for abnormal cells growth.

Those who suffer from Hodgkin’s lymphoma have several treatment options, including the alternative cancer treatment options available at New Hope Medical Center in Scottsdale, AZ. The entire staff at New Hope Medical Center works diligently to provide each patient an individualized alternative cancer treatment plan, in hopes of fighting cancer, no matter what type it may be, and boost immune system health. With over fifty years of experience, the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff have worked together to develop the New Hope Treatment Method, a highly individualized alternative cancer treatment system. These alternative cancer treatments involve immune system enhancement and nutrient supplementation with the use of vitamins and minerals, body detoxification, acupuncture, massage, relaxation techniques, stress management, hormone therapy, and more.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is not the only cancer New Hope Medical Center treats with the use of its alternative cancer treatments. More information can be found on the New Hope Medical Center website at http://www.newhopemedicalcenter.com/ or by calling 480-473-9808.