Hodgkin's Lymphoma Research Paper

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphoid system affecting approximately 9000 new patients each year in the United States (Ansell, 2016). The following paper is intended to research Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and will provide a description of the disease including statistics, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and tools used for diagnosis. Medical treatment, medications used in treatment, and nursing care provided for the treatment option utilized, will be researched and discussed. Finally, the complications of the disease and long and short term prognosis for patients will be presented. This research paper is a comprehensive review and summary of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma using current clinical journal information.
Description of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Statistics
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL) is a B-cell lymphoid malignancy and is typically characterized by the presence of the Reed-Sternberg cell upon diagnosis. Approximately 9000 patients are diagnosed with HL each year in
It is important to monitor heart function long term for HL patients treated with mediastinal radiation, as there is evidence of a decrease in left ventricular function (Gotti et al., 2013). Bleomycin and mediastinal radiation therapy have been shown to cause an increase in pulmonary toxicity (Gotti et al., 2013). Shortness of breath and cough are long term complications that are treated with corticosteroids. Pulmonary toxicity has been reported to be approximately 10-25% (Gotti, et al., 2013). Thyroid abnormalities are related to radiation to the neck region. Hypothyroidism is the most common problem with approximately 20-30% of survivors experiencing thyroid abnormalities. The risk of thyroid abnormalities seems to be related to the dose administered. Patient’s treated with radiation in the upper chest or neck region need to be monitored for thyroid problems and treated as