What is diffuse large b cell lymphoma cancer?

Oh boy, here we go again. Another disease to Google and scare ourselves with. But fear not, my dear readers! We’ll dive deep into the nitty-gritty of diffuse large b cell lymphoma cancer (DLBCL) and come out on the other side armed with knowledge.

Let’s Define DLBCL

Diffuse large b-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that affects white blood cells called B-cells. It occurs when these cells grow out of control and form tumours in various parts of the body.

Symptoms: Spotting DLBCL

If you’re worried about DLBCL striking you down, look out for symptoms such as fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain or swelling, chest pain or coughing up blood (which should really only happen if someone punches you in the lungs).

How Common Is It?

DLBCL accounts for around a third of all newly diagnosed cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas in adults globally each year (did I mention it was global? Well now I have!). Usually seen in people over 60 years old (it can’t wait to ruin your golden years) but it doesn’t discriminate against young ‘uns either!

Diagnosis Time

So what do you do if experiencing some suspicious symptoms? Go start googling madly like everyone else? Or contact your doc immediately? The latter would be wise as there are many tests they will carry out including CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, bone marrow biopsies(Don’t worry this one sounds scary but it isn’t so bad!). Early diagnosis gives patients a better chance at fighting off the yucky thing that is cancerous growths.

So Many Subtypes

Doctors like to get real specific about what type of DLBCL patients are dealing with, as this helps determine which treatment route is best. Some subtypes include primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), activated B-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL) and germinal center B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GCB-DLBCL). Phew! Isn’t cancer so fun?

Treatment Options

Like all things in life, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. People have used various treatments such as radiation therapy(which still makes me think of gamma-ray powered superheroes), stem cell transplants, chemo(sorry to break it to you but the hair loss does occur) or a special drug called rituximab. Each person will require their own unique liver through these trying times.

Prognosis

Some good news for y’all- Compared to other NHLs (non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas), more people that go through treatment for DLBCL end up getting cured! Though around 30% of those who go into remission can unfortunately have a relapse within 3 years. But hey now we know what happens next time!

What To Do After Recovery?

Depressed? Sadistically thinking of making plans already after going through an episode with cancer-that too DLBL whatever they call it? No need!. It’s important post-recovery a person function normally -working out having balanced diets & meeting loved ones and family etc…just generally living life.

Joining A Support Group

As well don’t forget support groups where fellow survivors grieve & celebrate together this gladiator battle with us perfectly capturing our pains , struggles , hopes et al., Nothing bonds peeps like shared trauma!( I mean c’mon did anyone really want THAT kind of bonding experience?)

Prevention

Now here’s a fun fact. There are no scientific reasons to back up to prevent DLBCL cancer from occurring in the first place (yay!) So go ahead and live your life lol (Yaaaaaaaaas|)

Except…

Well, there is certainly no knock-on-wood way of avoiding every type of bodily nastiness out there-free radicals/antisocial cells etc. It’s one good thing though if you stick on top of your body’s symptoms , eat fruits &vegetable stuff right? Everything else shrugs let destiny decide!.

Conclusion

Before I sign off on this wild ride, remember what we learned today: diffuse large b-cell lymphoma is a nasty yet common condition that can affect anyone but most commonly seen in older people, there’s currently no foolproof methods for prevention against it so don’t stress yourself out! Diagnosis early on makes treatments easier.
Lastly, do remember our final agenda though -celebrate LIFE folks-cancer or not!¹