If you notice a receding hairline, thinning on the crown of the head, or excessive daily shedding of hair follicles, you may be experiencing early hair loss. Often, hair loss is temporary, and it comes as the body’s natural reaction to things like pregnancy, stress, nutrition deficiency, or a hormone imbalance. Hair loss is caused by many different medical conditions, but is cancer one of them?
Hair Loss from Cancer
Cancer treatments are more likely to cause hair loss than cancer itself. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments attack cells across the entire body to destroy tumors, but that comes at the expense of damaging hair follicles and disrupting the natural growth cycle. Although these treatments cause hair to fall out quickly, it isn’t until after cancer has been detected that the hair loss occurs. One of the only exceptions to this symptom is Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a rare form of cancer that targets the white blood cells, medically referred to as lymphocytes. The condition typically begins in the patient’s upper lymph nodes, where it spreads to other areas of the body, infecting additional structures that make the immune system. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the most common cancer in teenagers over the age of fifteen, but adults in their 20’s or over the age of 55 are also at risk.
Symptoms
The most common symptom in patients who suffer from Hodgkin’s lymphoma is an enlarged lymph node that appears as a lump in the neck, in the armpit, or near the groin. This swollen area may not be painful to the touch, but it becomes sensitive after consuming alcohol. If treatment does not begin relatively soon, the lump grows larger, and other masses start to develop. It’s important to remember that lymph nodes often swell for reasons other than cancer. However, if you feel concerned, you should see your doctor.
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