World Lymphoma Awareness Day: History, Significance, And All That You Need To Know

The illness, a form of blood cancer, was spotlighted recently when American actress Jane Fonda shared that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and had started chemotherapy.

World Lymphoma Awareness Day: Lymphocytes

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New Delhi: Every year on September 15th, cancer organisations observe World Lymphoma Awareness Day to increase awareness of lymphoma and the specific emotional and psychological issues that patients and caregivers experiencing various kinds of lymphoma face.

The illness, a form of blood cancer, was spotlighted recently when American actress Jane Fonda shared that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and had started chemotherapy.

World Lymphoma Awareness Day: Theme 2022

The theme for this year is "We Can't-Wait - There is an urgent need to improve the ways lymphomas are diagnosed, treated and tracked !". 

It largely focuses on enhancing the diagnosis, therapies, and tracking of lymphoma subtypes in order to provide the maximum information possible to the global community regarding signs and symptoms in order to promote early detection and actions toward suitable therapy.

World Lymphoma Awareness Day: A brief history

Since 2004, September 15 has been designated as World Lymphoma Awareness Day. It began as a non-profit collaboration of 83 Lymphoma patient groups from 52 countries to increase public awareness of Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. 

Hodgkin's Lymphoma affects over one million people globally, and over 1000 people are diagnosed with the illness every day.  

World Lymphoma Awareness Day has also made an international impact, including inspiring art exhibitions in Argentina, cycling tours in France, and patient lectures in New Zealand. The global campaign continues to provide a forum for physicians, nurses, patient support organisations, patients, and their families to communicate critical information about lymphoma, its indications and symptoms, and how it affects the lives of thousands of people worldwide. 

In 2007, the Lymphoma Coalition began the Know Your Nodes campaign on a global scale to educate people about lymph nodes, the lymphatic system, and lymphoma. 

World Lymphoma Awareness Day: Significance

The goal of Lymphoma Awareness Day is to raise public awareness of the disease by educating people about the symptoms, forms, and diagnoses of lymphoma so that patients may seek treatment from professionals as soon as possible.

The lymphatic system determines our body's defense mechanism, thus it is crucial to understand it. When the lymphatic system's functioning is impaired, it is more likely to be impacted by numerous infectious diseases and other problems, which can result in serious illnesses.

World Lymphoma Awareness Day: The way lymphoma develops

Lymphoma results when lymphocytes, which are white blood cells, proliferate out of control.  Lymphocytes are a component of the immune system, and they aid in battling infections of all kinds. As a result, lymphoma originates in the immune system and spreads throughout the body on cells that transport lymph. The fluid travels through the lymph nodes, which are glands that are dispersed throughout the body.

The lymphatic system is where lymphoma cancer develops. White blood cells called B cells and T cells begin to multiply excessively, outnumbering healthy cells and impairing the immune system's ability to function.

The two main kinds of lymphoma are Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. White blood cells are absent in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Lymphoma spreads from one lymph node to the next because all of the lymph nodes are interconnected.

World Lymphoma Awareness Day: Symptoms of lymphoma

Signs and symptoms of lymphoma may include:

Painless swelling of lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin

• Persistent fatigue
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Shortness of breath
• Unexplained weight loss
• Itchy skin