Prognosis for Lymph Node Cancer

Although lymph node cancer only represents 6 percent of all cancer diagnoses, it has one of the highest survivorship rates. This is uplifting news when dealing with a difficult disease, and there is no longer a death sentence that years ago accompanied this diagnosis.

• Ready to Beat Cancer

Early Diagnosis

• Treating the cancer early before it spreads is crucial to beating it quickly and successfully. Lymph node cancer often occurs in males ages 15 to 34 and adults over 55 and is diagnosed through blood tests and biopsy. After diagnosis, cancer is staged from I to IV, and A for non-symptomatic and B for symptomatic. Early treatment options lead to better outcomes.

Prognosis

• In 2004, the survivorship rate was 84 percent; as of 2009 the rate is even higher. "New findings come from a European group led by French physicians. They are reporting five-year, disease-free survival as high as 98 percent for patients with the most favorable prognosis and in the mid-80s or better for those who showed up with a worse outlook," according to Healthday Reporter.

Treatment Options

• There are three treatments commonly prescribed for treatment of lymph node cancer: the chemotherapy modality of Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine and Dacarbazine or ABVD; stanford V combines additional chemotherapy treatments along with radiation treatment in advance stages of lymphoma; and BEACOPP adds another combination of chemotherapy treatments for more advanced-staged lymphoma.

Survivorship

• Cure is not often a word used in cancer treatment but with survivorship rates in the 90-percent range, successful treatment of the disease is attainable. Following the treatment regiment an oncologist prescribes will enable a recovery with minimal side effects.

Reccurrence

• A patient diagnosed at stage I lymph node cancer has a 15 percent chance of the disease returning, and with each increasing stage recurrence goes up by 15 percent. However, recurrence rates reduce by 95 percent after five years.