Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the lymph system. The lymph system is part of the immune system.  In this type of lymphoma, tumors start for a cell type called lymphocytes. They are a form of white blood cell.
In 2018, the estimated number of new Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cases was 74,680 in the US. In the US, 71.4% of patients survive after 5 years or more of being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This means out of 100 patients with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, about 71 patients have survived the disease for 5 years or more.
Risk factors
There are certain factors that increase the chances of having Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

• Drugs that muffle the immune system. These drugs are typically used in patients that have received organs by transplant.  These medications increase the risk of having lymphoma because they have suppressed the patient’s natural ability to fight off disease.   
• Infection. Infection with the bacteria Helicobacter pylori has been connected to a higher chance of having this type of cancer. The HIV and Epstein-Barr viruses have been associated with higher rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
• Chemicals. Chemicals like herbicides and pesticides have potentially been associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. There is ongoing research into the connection between these chemicals and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
• Older age. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common in people over 60 compared to younger people.

Symptoms
There are certain symptoms and signs associated with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These include painless enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin, belly discomfort/swelling, pain in a patient’s trunk, shortness of breath, coughing, feeling tired all the time, higher body temperature, sweating at night, unplanned loss of weight.
Diagnosis
There are certain tests that a doctor might use to see if a patient has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

• A physical checkup. A doctor will look for swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin. The doctor will also look for an enlarged liver or spleen.
• Blood and urine tests. Tests looking at a patient’s bodily fluids will aid in excluding other causes or diseases.
• Diagnostic imaging. A doctor will use machines/techniques to see what is going on inside a patient’s body.  These techniques include X-ray, CT and positron emission tomography.
• Lymph node biopsy. A piece of lymph node will be removed from the body to help find out information about the disease.
• Bone marrow biopsy.  A sample of bone marrow is collected from the hip bone. The sample is used to find cancer cells.

Depending on the severity of the disease a doctor and patient may decide to wait to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This is called a wait-and-see tactic. The doctor will monitor the patient every few months to watch the cancer. They will make sure that the cancer is not advancing.  If the disease is hard-hitting or causes the signs and symptoms of the disease described above, treatment may be advocated by the doctor.
Treatment options
The treatment options for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma include the following:

• Chemotherapy. These are medications that are used to kill the cancer cells. They can be injected or taken by mouth. Chemotherapy can be taken alone, with other medications or with radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy. This is a release of energy in the form of waves or particles. This energy injures cancer cells and prevents them from growing. Examples of this therapy this include X-rays and protons.
• Bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant/ stem cell transplant.  This is when abnormal or unhealthy bone marrow is replaced by hardy and healthy cells.

Before a transplant there are a few steps that are taken.  Progenitor or stem blood cells are collected. Chemotherapy or radiation is then used to kill off the sickly cells. The healthy stem cells are then injected back into the body and help to recreate healthy bone marrow cells.      

• Additional drug therapy.
  • Biologic therapy helps the body’s natural defenses fight cancer. Examples of biologic therapy are rituximab (Rituxan) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica).
  • Radioimmunotherapy drugs directly attach to cancer cells and deliver precise radiation to kill the cancer cells. An example of this drug is ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin).

 
References:
“Cancer Stat Facts: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/nhl.html
“Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2019.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375680
‌
Web links about Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/blood-disorders/lymphomas/non-hodgkin-lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma  https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000581.htm

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a disease of the lymph system.  The lymph system is a part of the immune system. This disease is caused by irregular cells in the lymph system.  The irregular cells do not grow like normal lymph cells.
In 2018, the estimated number of new Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cases was 8,500 in the US. In the US, 86.6% of patients survive after 5 years or more of being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This means out of 100 patients with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, about 87 patients have survived the disease for 5 years or more.
Risk Factors
The things that raise the chances of having Hodgkin's lymphoma include:

• Age. Hodgkin's lymphoma happens more in patients between the ages of 15 and 30 years. It also occurs more frequently in those over 55 years old.
  
• Family history of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Those with blood relatives who have Hodgkin's have an increased risk of having the disease.
  
• Gender. Male patients have a somewhat higher chance of having Hodgkin's lymphoma compared to women.
  
• Previous illness from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Patients who have a history of the virus have an increased risk of having Hodgkin’s lymphoma compared to people with no history of the virus.
  

Symptoms
Symptoms of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma include: swelling lymph nodes in the neck-groin or underarm, constant feeling of tiredness, increases in temperature, sweating at night, unplanned loss of weight, irritated and scratchy skin, effects of alcohol are more pronounced, and pain after alcohol consumption near lymph nodes.
 
Diagnosis
Based on a patient’s personal/familial medical history, a doctor may conduct tests to establish if there is a diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

• A physical checkup. A doctor will look for swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin. The doctor will also look for an enlarged liver or spleen.
  
• Lab tests.  A small vial of blood may be taken. A laboratory will look at a patient’s blood and look for signs of cancer.
  
• Diagnostic imaging. A doctor will use machines/techniques to see what is going on inside a patient’s body.  These techniques include X-ray, CT and positron emission tomography.
  
• Lymph node biopsy. A piece of lymph node will be removed from the body to help find out information about the disease.  
  
• Bone marrow biopsy.  A sample of bone marrow is collected from the hip bone. The sample is used to find Hodgkin’s lymphoma cells.
  

Treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

• Chemotherapy. These are drugs that reach most parts of the body. They are used to kill the lymphoma cells. These drugs can be used in combination with radiation or by itself. The drugs are taken as pills or injections.
  
• Radiation therapy. This is a release of energy in the form of waves or particles. This energy injures cancer cells and prevents them from growing. Examples of this therapy this include X-rays and protons.
  
• Bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant/ stem cell transplant.  This is when abnormal or unhealthy bone marrow is substituted by hardy and healthy cells. This is a possible treatment if the lymphoma returns after chemotherapy/radiation therapy.
  

Before a transplant there are a few steps that are taken.  Progenitor or stem blood cells are collected. Chemotherapy or radiation is then used to kill off the sickly cells. The healthy stem cells are then injected back into the body and help to recreate healthy bone marrow cells.      

• Additional drug treatment (targeted therapy and immunotherapy). Targeted therapy concentrates on distinctive weakness in the lymphoma cells. Immunotherapy uses the patient’s own immune system to destroy the cancer cells. If other treatments do not work there may be lab testing to look for genetic mutations or weakness in the cancer cells. This will help the doctor pick out the right targeted therapy or immunotherapy.
  

References:
“Cancer Stat Facts: Hodgkin Lymphoma.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/hodg.html .
“Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease).” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education
and Research, 2019.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20352646.

​

Myeloma
Myeloma is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells. Specifically, it affects the plasma cells. Plasma cells create antibodies. These antibodies help a patient’s body find germs and fight off infection.
Myeloma occurs when unhealthy or cancer cells gather in bone marrow. These cancer cells overcrowd the normal blood cells. The cancer cells cannot make normal antibodies, instead they make irregular proteins. These irregular proteins can cause problems in the body.


In 2018, the estimated number of new myeloma cases of 30,770 in the US. In the US, 50.7% of patients survive after 5 Years or more of being diagnosed with myeloma. This means out of 100 patients with myeloma, about 50 patients have survived the disease for 5 years or more.


Risk Factors  
Factors that can increase your chances of having myeloma include:

• Older age.  Most patients diagnosed with this disease are in their sixties.
• Male gender.  Men have a higher risk of having myeloma compared to women.
• Race.  A black patient’s chances of having myeloma are doubled when compared white patients.
• Family history.  Patients with a family history have a higher chance of getting the disease.
  
  
  

Signs & Symptoms  
The signs and symptoms myeloma can be different for every person. There may not be signs early on for patients with myeloma.  When and if there are symptoms, a patient might experience bone aches, nausea, constipation, a loss of appetite/hunger, foggy thoughts or confusion, fatigue, repeated infections, patients may feel more thirsty than usual, patients may lose weight, legs may feel weak or numb.  


Diagnosis
There are several tests that can help diagnosis myeloma. Some of these tests may be conducted by your provider if they suspect Myeloma. Your doctor may find myeloma by coincidence with some routine tests.  These tests include:

• Blood tests and urine tests, which look for abnormal proteins made by myeloma.
• Inspection of your bone marrow. Your doctor may take a small amount of bone marrow and look at the myeloma cells to find specific genetic irregularities.
• Imaging like X-ray, MRI, CT or positron emission tomography (PET). Imaging can show bone abnormalities that can happen with myeloma.

Treatment Options

• Targeted therapy.   This is a type of drug therapy with injections or pills.  Targeted therapy focuses on a particular characteristic unique to a patient’s cancer cells that allow them to persist and thrive in the body.  This therapy obstructs essential substance/proteins in the cancer cells. This makes the myeloma cells die. Examples of targeted drugs are: Bortezomib (Velcade), carfilzomib (Kyprolis) and ixazomib (Ninlaro)
• Biologic therapy.   This is a type of drug therapy with pills. It improves your own immune cells ability to combat myeloma. Examples of these drugs are drugs thalidomide (Thalomid), lenalidomide (Revlimid) and pomalidomide (Pomalyst)
• Chemotherapy. This is a type of treatment with drugs that come as pills or in an injection.  This type of treatment targets and eliminates cells, like myeloma cells, that grow quickly and haphazardly.  
• Corticosteroids/steroids. This treatment can come as a pill or as an injection. They help control inflammation in the body and works against myeloma cells.
• Bone marrow transplant/ stem cell transplant.  This is when abnormal or unhealthy bone marrow is substituted by hardy and healthy cells.

Before a transplant there are a few steps that are taken.  Progenitor or Stem blood cells are collected. Chemotherapy is then used to kill off the sickly bone marrow cells. The healthy stem cells are then injected back into the body and help to recreate healthy bone marrow cells.      

• Radiation therapy. This is a release of energy in the form of waves or particles. This energy injures myeloma cells and prevents them from growing. This therapy is used to rapidly damage myeloma cells and can be used to target particular parts of the body. Examples of this therapy this include X-rays and protons

​References:
“Cancer Stat Facts: Myeloma.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html
“Multiple-Myeloma.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-myeloma/symptoms-causes/syc-20353378 .
 
Web links about Myleloma:
Patient education: Multiple myeloma symptoms, diagnosis, and staging (Beyond the Basics)
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/multiple-myeloma-symptoms-diagnosis-and-staging-beyond-the-basics
 
Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma)—Patient Version
https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloma
 
Multiple Myeloma
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/blood-disorders/plasma-cell-disorders/multiple-myeloma
 
Multiple Myeloma
https://medlineplus.gov/multiplemyeloma.html
 
What Is Multiple Myeloma?
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/what-is-multiple-myeloma.html
 

SAVE THE DATE!
SUNDAY, MARCH 17TH | 4-7PM

Enjoy an evening of Bowling (with or without Brews, we'll leave that up to you!) on St. Patty's Day, Sunday, March 17th to benefit The Rob Branham Foundation.
Lessard Lanes
136 New Britain Ave, Plainville, CT 06062

Tickets are $50 for adults and $40 for children 12 and under

Ticket price includes:

• 2 Hours of Bowling
• Shoe Rental
• Indoor Mini Golf
• Buffet
• 2 Brews or Soft Drinks
• 50/50 Raffle
• Live Leprechaun!

Event Sponsorships Available!

Partner with The Rob Branham Foundation for our annual St. Patrick's Day event, Bowl & Brews!  For more information contact Carol Reilly.

Raise a Paw Against Leukemia (formerly known as Woofstock) will be the event of the fall for dogs and their people Hosted by Renee DiNino of iHeart Media and Steve Parker of WTIC-AM!
 
Raise a Paw 2018 will include several exciting and fun features:

• Location : Simsbury Meadows, Iron Horse Blvd., Simsbury
• Date : Sunday, September 30, 2018; 10 AM - 2 PM
• Vendor fair
• Pet Portraits
• Dog Walk and Challenge Course for the dogs and their owners
• Dog crowdfunding – an opportunity for dogs to get pledges and raise funds to help families fighting blood cancers and be named the event’s Top Dog
• Become a Sponsor!  A variety of sponsorship levels are available including advertising in the event program guide

 
Raise a Paw is not only a great event for people, their dogs, and businesses; it’s also a fundraising event for The Rob Branham Foundation, a CT charity that provides financial assistance to CT families fighting leukemia and other blood cancers.  Over the past decade, this critical support for families has helped them pay their mortgage or rent, utility and insurance bills, and provide groceries for their families as they deal with the daily stresses of a potential fatal disease.
         
Help us ‘Raise a Paw’ against leukemia and other blood cancers - hope to see you and your dog there!

Interested in becoming a Raise A Paw Sponsor or Vendor?
DOWNLOAD SPONSOR/VENDOR INFO
DOWNLOAD SPONSOR/VENDOR COMMITMENT FORM

Join us on Sunday, September 30th to celebrate National Blood Cancer Awareness month at Raise A Paw Against Leukemia at Simsbury Meadows from 10am to 2pm.

In addition to our Vendor Fair, Food Trucks and Pet Portraits we will be hosting a Dog Walk and Challenge Course to benefit families fighting blood cancer right here in Connecticut.  

The Dog Walk is a leisurely stroll around the perimeter of the Challenge Course, go at your own pace, go around as many times as you like! 

Don't tucker your pooch out on the walk before they have a chance to test their agility on our 10 obstacle Challenge Course!  Don't worry, it's just for fun and we will have volunteers on hand to show you the ropes and even snap a pic for you if you'd like!