Pregnancy And Baby Care Toddler Illness Lyumphoma in Toddlers

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Symptoms of Lymphoma in Toddlers

The incidence of lymphoma in toddlers is quite alarming. Almost 17,000 of the people diagnosed with lymphoma every year in United States of America, are less than twenty years of age.

This is quite a worrisome statistic for health agencies. Lymphoma in toddlers is the third most common cancer of children.

Hodgkin Disease

Though this disease is most common in late adulthood, recent trends have shown an increasing incidence in children. Lymphoma symptoms in toddlers begin with a rather painless inflammation of the lymph nodes. These lymph nodes are present in the neck region and an enlargement is quite visible. Other lymph nodes are present right above the collarbone, in the groin region or in the underarm region.

We all have a gland called thymus in our chest. This is a vital gland of the immune system and its size is larger in children than in adults. If the cancer spreads to this gland, it could exert a lot of pressure, causing shortness of breath, problems in blood circulation and cough which cannot be associated to any ailment. A lot of toddlers may also experience non specific symptoms which include loss of appetite, night sweats, fever, itching, fatigue and hives on the skin.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)

Though less common than the Hodgkin disease, the incidence of the non - Hodgkin lymphoma is also quite alarming. Every year, in United States of America alone, 500 new cases are registered for this disease. Though rare before age three, this disease can occur at any time in one's life. Children, who are less than the age of fifteen, are significantly more prone to developing this kind of a cancer.

In a lot of cases, this kind of lymphoma is not diagnosed correctly. This is because abnormal growth of lymphocytes is also a characteristic feature of leukemia. However, in lymphoma, usually the involvement of the bone marrow is very minimal whereas in leukemia, bone marrow is significantly involved in the damage caused due to cancer. A specific type of the non Hodgkin lymphoma is associated with a type of virus and could be contagious.

Children, who have certain immune deficiencies, are more prone to developing lymphoma. The incidence of lymphoma is also higher in males than in females.