Posts Tagged ‘immune system’
Hodgkin disease
Hodgkin’s Disease is a form of cancer, usually appears in lymph nodes, the cause is unknown, however it may arise from a combination of genetic predisposition, immune system disorders and infectious agents (Epstein-Barr virus) .
The pathological diagnosis of the disease is the presence of large cells and multinucleated malignant lymph node accepted that are called Reed-Sternberg cells.
The disease is initially characterized by an enlarged, painless, one or more lymph nodes, most commonly in the neck, but sometimes may occur in the axilla, the groin or the thighs.
About one-fourth or one third of patients have persistent unexplained fever, night sweats also. Fatigue and weight loss are also associated with this picture, and pruritus (itching).
Treatment consists of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combinations of both. Hodgkin disease is considered a curable malignancy.
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Cancer and the immune system
The immune system attacks and eliminates not only bacteria and other foreign substances but also cancer cells. A cancer cell is a cell not strange, it is a cell whose biological function has been altered so that does not meet the body’s normal mechanisms that control the growth and reproduction of it. The abnormal cells can continue to grow, turning into cancer.
In the immune system, a large part of the body’s defense against cancer is carried out directly by cells, rather than by antibodies circulating in the blood. For example, the presence of tumor antigens on cancer cells can activate certain white blood cells (lymphocytes and in a much lesser degree, monocytes) which perform an immune surveillance seeking and destroying cancer cells.
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