The Lymphoma Numbers
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Lymphoma develops when your genes undergo changes as a result of damage or mutations, causing your disease fighting lymphocytes to develop abnormally and become cancerous. Our genes provide the instructions for how a lymphocyte should be made, grow, behave, and when they should die.
As a result of the genetic changes, the lymphocytes begin to do the wrong thing, because they are no longer getting the right instructions from your genes. Instead of growing in an orderly way at the right time, they just keep making more and more damaged cells with mutated genes.
We don’t know why this happens. There is no definite cause of lymphoma and no way of telling who will get it and who won’t.
Some risk factors have been identified though, and these are things that may increase your risk of getting lymphoma, but are not necessarily a cause of it.
What's the difference between a risk factor and a cause?
A risk factor is something that increases your chances of getting lymphoma, but doesn’t mean you will get lymphoma.
Think about the lottery. If you buy more tickets than someone else, you have more chances of winning. But there is no guarantee you will win and, the person with less tickets is less likely, but can still win.
It is the same with risk factors. If you have a risk factor you have a higher chance of getting lymphoma than someone without the risk factor, but it doesn’t mean you will get it. And, just because someone doesn’t have the risk factor, doesn’t mean they wont get lymphoma either.
So the risk factor is like a game of chance.
Whereas if something causes a disease, we know that if that thing happens, the disease will follow and, if that thing doesn’t happen, there will be no disease.
You can think about a cause like cooking an egg. We know that if you break the egg open, put it in the pan and turn up the heat it will cook. But if you break it open, put it in the pan but don’t turn on the heat, the egg will sit there and never be cooked.
It is the heat that causes the egg to cook. It’s not a risk factor, because every time you turn up the heat in this situation the egg will cook, and every time there is no heat, the egg will not cook.
Dr Mary Ann Anderson – Haematologist from
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre & Royal Melbourne Hospital talks about why lymphoma develops.
What are the known risk factors?
Below you will find risk factors known to increase your chance of getting lymphoma or CLL. Not all risk factors are relevant to all subtypes of lymphoma though. Where there is a specific subtype associated with the risk factors we have added the subtype in. If no subtype is mentioned, then the risk factor is a general risk factor that may increase your risk of any of the subtypes.
If you would like to learn more about your subtype, you can click on the link below. Otherwise, click on the arrow next to the risk factors below to learn more.
Breast implant-associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
Breast implants have been identified as a risk factor for a slow-growing (indolent) subtype of T-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma called Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). It is more common where textured implants have been used rather than smooth implants.
Although this cancer begins in the breast, it is not a type of breast cancer. It is thought to be caused by pockets of fluid, infection or inflammation building up around the implant which, over time can transform into ALCL. If you have Breast implant-associated ALCL, your doctor will recommend you have an operation to remove the implant and any fluid or infection found. This may be the only treatment you need, however if it has spread to other parts of your body, you will be recommended other treatments too. You can learn more about this by clicking the link below.
Cancer treatment
Unfortunately many of the treatments used to treat cancer can also cause secondary cancers. These cancers are not the same as the first cancer and are not considered a relapse. The risk of developing a second cancer such as lymphoma remains for many years after your treatment.
Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other treatments that suppress your immune system, or damage your lymphocytes increases your risk of developing lymphoma.
If you are having treatment for any type of cancer including lymphoma, ask your doctor about the risk of secondary cancers.
Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis
Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is a non-cancerous condition that causes an increased number of abnormal B-cells lymphocytes in the blood. The abnormal B-lymphocytes have the same characteristics as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a subtype of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
MBL is considered a pre-cancerous condition that can transform into CLL over time. However, not everyone with MBL will develop CLL.
MBL is very rare in people under 40 years of age and the risk of developing MBL increases the older we get.
Lifestyle
Unlike other cancers, there is very limited evidence to suggest lymphoma is caused by lifestyle choices. However, some choices (such as poor hygiene, unprotected sex or sharing needles) may increase your risk of getting some viruses and other infections, while others (such as lack of physical exercise, or poor nutrition) may decrease your immune function. These infections, or immune dysfunction may increase your risk of developing lymphoma.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle may decrease your risk of getting lymphoma, though there is no guarantee. Many people who are diagnosed with lymphoma live very healthy lifestyles. However, even though your lifestyle choices may not protect you fully from getting lymphoma, being otherwise healthy if you need to start treatment, will help your body cope better and recover quicker.
Some healthy choices to consider include:
- Do not start smoking, or get help to quit.
- Avoid illegal drugs.
- If you need to use needles for any reason, use them once and put them in a suitable container to dispose of. Do not share needles with other people.
- If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation.
- Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of physical exercise every day. If physical activity is difficult for you, see you local doctor.
- Eat a healthy diet. If you need help with this, your local doctor can refer you to a dietician.
- Have fun, but be safe in the process.
Summary
- Lymphoma develops when changes – also called mutations happen in your genes affecting the way your lymphocytes grow and work.
- There are currently no known causes for this change that leads to lymphoma.
- Risk factors can increase your chance of getting lymphoma, but having a risk factor, doesn’t mean you will get lymphoma.
- Not having a risk factor doesn’t mean you wont get lymphoma.
- Lymphoma is not a “lifestyle” cancer – it does not seem to caused by lifestyle choices like other cancers.
