lymphs

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs. It is made up of:

• Lymph - a fluid that contains white blood cells that defend against germs
• Lymph vessels - vessels that carry lymph throughout your body. They are different from blood vessels.
• Lymph nodes - glands found throughout the lymph vessels. Along with your spleen, these nodes are where white blood cells fight infection.

Your bone marrow and thymus produce the cells in lymph. They are part of the system, too.

The lymphatic system clears away infection and keeps your body fluids in balance. If it's not working properly, fluid builds in your tissues and causes swelling, called lymphedema. Other lymphatic system problems can include infections, blockage, and cancer.

Kawasaki disease is a rare illness that usually affects small children. Other names for the disease are Kawasaki syndrome and mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. It is a type of vasculitis, which is inflammation of the blood vessels. Kawasaki disease is serious, but most children can fully recover if they are treated right away.

Kawasaki disease happens when the immune system injures the blood vessels by mistake. Researchers do not fully know why this happens. But when it does, the blood vessels become inflamed and can narrow or close off.

Genetics may play a role in Kawasaki disease. There may also be environmental factors, such as infections. It does not seem to be contagious. This means that it cannot be passed from one child to another.

Kawasaki disease usually affects children under the age of 5. But older children and adults can sometimes get it. It is more common in boys than girls. It can affect children of any race, but those with Asian or Pacific Islander descent are more likely to get it.

The symptoms of Kawasaki disease may include:

• High fever lasting at least five days
• A rash, often on the back, chest, and groin
• Swollen hands and feet
• Redness of the lips, lining of the mouth, tongue, palms of the hand, and soles of the feet
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck

Contact your child's health care provider if your child has a fever for 4 days, especially if they have any other symptoms of Kawasaki disease.

Sometimes Kawasaki disease can affect the walls of the coronary arteries. These arteries bring blood and oxygen to your heart. This can lead to:

• An aneurysm (bulging and thinning of the walls of the arteries). This can raise the risk of blood clots in the arteries. If the blood clots are not treated, they could lead to a heart attack or internal bleeding.
• Inflammation in the heart.
• Heart valve problems.

Kawasaki disease can also affect other parts of the body, including the brain and nervous system, the immune system, and the digestive system.

There is no specific test for Kawasaki disease. To find out if your child has Kawasaki disease, your child's provider:

• Will do a physical exam, which includes looking at the signs and symptoms
• Will likely order blood and urine tests to rule out other diseases and check for signs of inflammation
• May order tests to check for damage to the heart, such as an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram (EKG)

Kawasaki disease is usually treated in the hospital with an intravenous (IV) dose of immunoglobulin (IVIG) antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes to fight infections.

Aspirin may also be part of the treatment. But do not give your child aspirin unless the health care provider tells you to. Aspirin can cause Reye syndrome in children. This is a rare, serious illness that can affect the brain and liver.

Treatment usually works. But if it is not working well enough, the provider may also give your child other medicines to fight the inflammation. If the disease affects your child's heart, they might need additional medicines, surgery, or other medical procedures.

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in breast tissue. It happens when cells in the breast change and grow out of control. The cells usually form a tumor.

Sometimes the cancer does not spread any further. This is called "in situ." If the cancer spreads outside the breast, the cancer is called "invasive." It may just spread to nearby tissues and lymph nodes. Or the cancer may metastasize (spread to other parts of the body) through the lymph system or the blood.

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women in the United States. Rarely, it can also affect men.

There are different types of breast cancer. The types are based on which breast cells turn into cancer. The types include:

• Ductal carcinoma, which begins in the cells of the ducts. This is the most common type.
• Lobular carcinoma, which begins in the lobules. It is more often found in both breasts than other types of breast cancer.
• Inflammatory breast cancer, in which cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. The breast becomes warm, red, and swollen. This is a rare type.
• Paget's disease of the breast, which is a cancer involving the skin of the nipple. It usually also affects the darker skin around the nipple. It is also rare.

Breast cancer happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA). Often, the exact cause of these genetic changes is unknown.

But sometimes these genetic changes are inherited, meaning that you are born with them. Breast cancer that is caused by inherited genetic changes is called hereditary breast cancer.

There are also certain genetic changes that can raise your risk of breast cancer, including changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These two changes also raise your risk of ovarian and other cancers.

Besides genetics, your lifestyle and the environment can affect your risk of breast cancer.

The factors that raise your risk of breast cancer include:

• Older age
• History of breast cancer or benign (noncancer) breast disease
• Inherited risk of breast cancer, including having BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene changes
• Dense breast tissue
• A reproductive history that leads to more exposure to the estrogen hormone, including
  • Menstruating at an early age
  • Being at an older age when you first gave birth or never having given birth
  • Starting menopause at a later age
• Taking hormone therapy for symptoms of menopause
• Radiation therapy to the breast or chest
• Obesity
• Drinking alcohol

The signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:

• A new lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the armpit.
• A change in the size or shape of the breast.
• A dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast. It may look like the skin of an orange.
• A nipple turned inward into the breast.
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk. The discharge might happen suddenly, be bloody, or happen in only one breast.
• Scaly, red, or swollen skin in the nipple area or the breast
• Pain in any area of the breast.

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose breast cancer and figure out which type you have:

• A physical exam, including a clinical breast exam (CBE). This involves checking for any lumps or anything else that seems unusual with the breasts and armpits.
• A medical history.
• Imaging tests, such as a mammogram, an ultrasound, or an MRI.
• Breast biopsy.
• Blood chemistry tests, which measure different substances in the blood, including electrolytes, fats, proteins, glucose (sugar), and enzymes. Some of the specific blood chemistry tests include a basic metabolic panel (BMP), a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), and an electrolyte panel.

If these tests show that you have breast cancer, you will have tests that study the cancer cells. These tests help your provider decide which treatment would be best for you. The tests may include:

• Genetic tests for genetic changes such as in the BRCA and TP53 genes.
• HER2 test. HER2 is a protein involved with cell growth. It is on the outside of all breast cells. If your breast cancer cells have more HER2 than normal, they can grow more quickly and spread to other parts of the body.
• An estrogen and progesterone receptor test. This test measures the amount of estrogen and progesterone (hormones) receptors in cancer tissue. If there are more receptors than normal, the cancer is called estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive. This type of breast cancer may grow more quickly.

Another step is staging the cancer. Staging involves doing tests to find out whether the cancer has spread within the breast or to other parts of the body. The tests may include other diagnostic imaging tests and a sentinel lymph node biopsy. This biopsy is done to see whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

Treatments for breast cancer include:

• Surgery such as
  • A mastectomy, which removes the whole breast
  • A lumpectomy to remove the cancer and some normal tissue around it, but not the breast itself
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy, which blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells
• Immunotherapy

You may be able to help prevent breast cancer by making healthy lifestyle changes such as:

• Staying at a healthy weight
• Limiting alcohol use
• Getting enough exercisee
• Limiting your exposure to estrogen by
  • Breastfeeding your babies if you can
  • Limiting hormone therapy

If you are at high risk, your health care provider may suggest that you take certain medicines to lower the risk. Some women at very high risk may decide to get a mastectomy (of their healthy breasts) to prevent breast cancer.

It's also important to get regular mammograms. They may be able to identify breast cancer in the early stages, when it is easier to treat.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Hodgkin lymphoma, also called Hodgkin disease, is a type of cancer that develops in the lymph system. Your lymph system is part of your immune system. It helps protect your body from infection and disease.

The lymph system is made up of tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells. It includes your:

• Bone marrow
• Lymph nodes
• Lymphatic vessels
• Spleen
• Thymus
• Tonsils

Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the main types of lymphoma. The other is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Each type starts in different types of white blood cells.

The cause of Hodgkin lymphoma is unknown. But there are certain people who are at higher risk of developing it.

Certain factors can make you more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma:

• Age. Hodgkin lymphoma is most common in early adulthood (age 20-39 years) and in late adulthood (age 65 years and older).
• Being male. The risk of adult Hodgkin lymphoma is slightly higher in males than in females.
• Past Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Having an infection with EBV as a young child or teenager increases your risk of Hodgkin lymphoma.
• A family history of Hodgkin lymphoma. Having a parent or sibling with Hodgkin lymphoma increases your risk of developing it.

The signs and symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma may include:

• Painless, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin
• Fever for no known reason
• Drenching night sweats (very heavy sweating during sleep)
• Weight loss for no known reason in the past 6 months
• Itchy skin, especially after bathing or drinking alcohol
• Fatigue

To find out if you have Hodgkin lymphoma, your provider:

• Will ask about your symptoms and medical history. This will include checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual.
• May order some lab tests, such as:
  • Complete blood count
  • Blood chemistry studies
  • Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test
  • Blood tests to rule out other medical conditions
  • May do imaging tests such as a CT and PET (positron emission tomography) scans
  • May do a lymph node biopsy

Treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma include:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells
• Cancer immunotherapy

Hodgkin lymphoma can usually be cured if it is found and treated early.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Lymphedema is the name of a type of swelling. It happens when lymph builds up in your body's soft tissues. Lymph is a fluid that contains white blood cells that defend against germs. It can build up when the lymph system is damaged or blocked. It usually happens in the arms or legs.

Causes of lymphedema include:

• Infection
• Cancer
• Scar tissue from radiation therapy or surgical removal of lymph nodes
• Inherited conditions in which lymph nodes or vessels are absent or abnormal

Treatment can help control symptoms. It includes exercise, compression devices, skin care, and massage.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Sarcoidosis is a condition in which groups of cells in your immune system form small, red, and swollen (inflamed) lumps. These lumps are called granulomas. They can form in any organ in the body. But they most commonly affect the lungs and lymph nodes in the chest. Over time, sarcoidosis can cause permanent scarring of organs.

Your immune system creates inflammation to help defend you against germs and sickness. But in sarcoidosis, inflammation goes off track. It causes the cells in your immune system to form granulomas. Studies suggest that this inflammation might be triggered by infections and certain substances in the environment such as insecticides and mold. And your genes may affect how your immune system reacts to a trigger.

Anyone can develop sarcoidosis, but you are more likely to have it if you:

• Are older, especially if you are over age 55
• Live or work near insecticides, mold, or other substances that may cause inflammation
• Have a close relative who has sarcoidosis
• Take certain medicines, such as some types of HIV medicines and monoclonal antibodies
• Are of African or Scandinavian descent
• Are female

Many people who have sarcoidosis have no symptoms, or they may feel unwell but without any obvious symptoms. If you have symptoms, you may have some general symptoms. And you may have other symptoms, which will depend upon which part of the body is affected.

The general symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Depression
• Fever
• Night sweats (heavy sweating during sleep)

The symptoms of sarcoidosis in the lungs can include:

• Wheezing
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain

The symptoms of sarcoidosis in other parts of the body can include:

• Larger than normal liver or spleen
• Jaundice, which can make your eyes or skin yellow
• Nervous system problems, such as:
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Vision problems
  • Seizures
  • Numbness or tingling
• Heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Pain and swelling in the joints
• Skin problems such as rashes and growths under the skin

There is also a set of symptoms that are called Lofgren's syndrome. Some people have Lofgren's syndrome when they first develop sarcoidosis. It usually goes away completely within 2 years. The symptoms of Lofgren's syndrome may include:

• Swollen lymph nodes in your chest, neck, chin, armpits, or groin.
• A rash of small, itchy, or painful bumps called erythema nodosum. The rash is most often on your head, neck, or legs.
• Blurred vision, eye pain or redness, light sensitivity, or watery eyes.
• Joint pain, stiffness, or swelling.
• Fever.

If untreated, or if the treatment does not work, sarcoidosis can cause serious health problems called complications. Possible complications include:

• Lung problems
• Heart problems
• Hormone problems
• Brain, nerve, or muscle problems
• Kidney problems
• Severe organ damage

There is no single test that can diagnose sarcoidosis, and its symptoms can be similar to the symptoms of many other conditions. That makes it hard to diagnose. To find out if you have sarcoidosis, your health care provider:

• Will ask about your medical history, including your symptoms, lifestyle, and any other health conditions you may have.
• Will do a physical exam, which may include:
  • Checking your temperature
  • Checking to see if your lymph nodes, spleen, or liver are swollen
  • Listening to your chest with a stethoscope as you breathe in and out
  • Looking for rashes or sores on your body, such as scalp and lower legs
• Will likely order various tests, such as:
  • Chest x-rays
  • A biopsy of the skin, lymph nodes, lungs, or other affected organs
  • Blood tests to check your blood counts, hormone levels, and how well your kidneys are working
  • Other imaging tests

If you are diagnosed with sarcoidosis, your provider may order other tests to look at how sarcoidosis is affecting the body.

There is no cure for sarcoidosis. The goal of treatment for sarcoidosis is remission, which means you still have the condition, but it does not cause you problems.

You may not need treatment, and sometimes the condition goes away on its own. If you do need treatment, which treatment(s) you get will depend on your symptoms, which organs are affected, and whether those organs are working well. You may be given medicines to:

• Lower inflammation
• Treat an overactive immune response
• Treat joint pain
• Treat skin problems

If you have complications from sarcoidosis, you may need other treatments, such as other medicines, surgery, oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, or an implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator.

Whether or not you have symptoms from sarcoidosis, it's important to get regular follow-up care from your provider, make healthy lifestyle changes, and contact your provider if you have any new symptoms.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Your immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs. Together they help the body fight infections and other diseases.

When germs such as bacteria or viruses invade your body, they attack and multiply. This is called an infection. The infection causes the disease that makes you sick. Your immune system protects you from the disease by fighting off the germs.

The immune system has many different parts, including:

• Your skin, which can help prevent germs from getting into the body
• Mucous membranes, which are the moist, inner linings of some organs and body cavities. They make mucus and other substances which can trap and fight germs.
• White blood cells, which fight germs
• Organs and tissues of the lymph system, such as the thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and bone marrow. They produce, store, and carry white blood cells.

Your immune system defends your body against substances it sees as harmful or foreign. These substances are called antigens. They may be germs such as bacteria and viruses. They might be chemicals or toxins. They could also be cells that are damaged from things like cancer or sunburn.

When your immune system recognizes an antigen, it attacks it. This is called an immune response. Part of this response is to make antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that work to attack, weaken, and destroy antigens. Your body also makes other cells to fight the antigen.

Afterwards, your immune system remembers the antigen. If it sees the antigen again, it can recognize it. It will quickly send out the right antibodies, so in most cases, you don't get sick. This protection against a certain disease is called immunity.

There are three different types of immunity:

• Innate immunity is the protection that you are born with. It is your body's first line of defense. It includes barriers such as the skin and mucous membranes. They keep harmful substances from entering the body. It also includes some cells and chemicals which can attack foreign substances.
• Active immunity, also called adaptive immunity, develops when you are infected with or vaccinated against a foreign substance. Active immunity is usually long-lasting. For many diseases, it can last your entire life.
• Passive immunity happens when you receive antibodies to a disease instead of making them through your own immune system. For example, newborn babies have antibodies from their mothers. People can also get passive immunity through blood products that contain antibodies. This kind of immunity gives you protection right away. But it only lasts a few weeks or months.

Sometimes a person may have an immune response even though there is no real threat. This can lead to problems such as allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake.

Other immune system problems happen when your immune system does not work correctly. These problems include immunodeficiency diseases. If you have an immunodeficiency disease, you get sick more often. Your infections may last longer and can be more serious and harder to treat. They are often genetic disorders.

There are other diseases that can affect your immune system. For example, HIV is a virus that harms your immune system by destroying your white blood cells. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). People with AIDS have badly damaged immune systems. They get an increasing number of severe illnesses.

Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is Hodgkin disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas begin when a type of white blood cell, called a T cell or B cell, becomes abnormal. The cell divides again and again, making more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells can spread to almost any other part of the body. Most of the time, doctors don't know why a person gets non-Hodgkin lymphoma. You are at increased risk if you have a weakened immune system or have certain types of infections.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause many symptoms, such as :

• Swollen, painless lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fever
• Soaking night sweats
• Coughing, trouble breathing or chest pain
• Weakness and tiredness that don't go away
• Pain, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen

Your doctor will diagnose lymphoma with a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray, and a biopsy. Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, biological therapy, or therapy to remove proteins from the blood. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. If you don't have symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. This is called watchful waiting.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

A biopsy is a procedure that removes cells or tissue from your body. A doctor called a pathologist looks at the cells or tissue under a microscope to check for damage or disease. The pathologist may also do other tests on it.

Biopsies can be done on all parts of the body. In most cases, a biopsy is the only test that can tell for sure if a suspicious area is cancer. But biopsies are performed for many other reasons too.

There are different types of biopsies. A needle biopsy removes tissue with a needle passed through your skin to the site of the problem. Other kinds of biopsies may require surgery.

Cancer begins in your cells, which are the building blocks of your body. Normally, your body forms new cells as you need them, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong. New cells grow even when you don't need them, and old cells don't die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass called a tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren't cancer while malignant ones are. Cells from malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break away and spread to other parts of the body.

Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for where they start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and breast cancer starts in the breast. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis. Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Most treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Some may involve hormone therapy, immunotherapy or other types of biologic therapy, or stem cell transplantation.

NIH: National Cancer Institute