Can lymphoma be operated on?

The lymphoma is a malignant tumour from the lymphocyte system and consists mainly of two main categories: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These lymphoma are usually associated with lymphoma, spleen, bone marrow etc. Since lymphoma is characterized by extensive influence on the whole body ‘ s multiple organ systems, its treatment is usually dependent on full-body treatments such as chemotherapy, lymphotherapy, immunotherapy and, to a lesser extent, surgical treatment of lymphoma. However, surgical treatment can still play an important role in certain specific situations.

1. Status of treatment of lymphoma

Treatment for lymphoma is usually developed by oncologists based on the patient ‘ s specific circumstances (e.g. type of lymphoma, period, overall health status of the patient, etc.). The main treatments include:

Chemotherapy: chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for lymphoma, especially for non-hodgkin lymphoma and hodgkin lymphoma.

Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation is usually used to limit pathologies, in particular early Hodgkin lymphoma and certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Immunization treatment: Immunotherapy helps the body to better identify and destroy cancer cells by enhancing the response of the patient ‘ s immune system. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the application of immunotherapy drugs such as immunosuppressants and monoclon antibodies in lymphoma treatment.

stem cell transplants: For some patients with repeated lymphoma, stem cell transplants may be an effective treatment option.

2. Role of surgery in lymphoma treatment

Although the use of surgical treatment for lymphoma is relatively small, in some exceptional cases it can still be part of the treatment. The following are possible cases involving surgery:

(1) Work Inspection and Diagnosis

The lymphoma diagnosis is usually determined through an tissue examination. The most common method is to remove tissues from lymphoma knots or other parts of the population for pathological examinations. This process is usually performed through a biopsy. There are several types of biopsies:

Surgery biopsy: If the lymphoma is swollen or the lymphoma is localized, the doctor may remove some or all of the lymphomy knots by surgery to obtain sufficient tissue for pathological examination.

Pulsive biopsy: If lymphatic knots are on the surface of the body or can be clearly located by means of a visual examination, the doctor may use a piercing biopsy, which is relatively less intrusive.

In vitro surgery is an important step in the diagnosis of lymphoma, helping doctors to identify the type, period and basis for the development of treatment programmes.

(2) Euphoria removal or local control

In some cases, lymphoma may be confined to a particular part and form relatively isolated swelling. If the swelling causes symptoms of oppression (e.g. respiratory difficulties, indigestion barriers, etc.), the doctor may recommend that the swelling be removed through surgery to alleviate the symptoms. In addition, certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (e.g. limited B-cell lymphoma) that do not spread to other organs may be treated through local hysterectomy combinations or chemotherapy.

Despite this, most lymphoma is not limited, but has spread to multiple lymphoma knots or other organs, so hysterectomy alone is not sufficient to cure the disease.

(3) Treatment of complications caused by lymphoma

In some cases, lymphoma can lead to a range of complications, such as mechanical oppression, haemorrhage, infection or damage to organs caused by tumours. For example, tumours can oppress the surrounding nervous, vascular or vital organs, causing pain or other functional impairments. If these complications pose a threat to the quality of life or survival of the patient, doctors may consider intervention through surgery to alleviate symptoms or solve problems.

In addition, in the case of lymphoma cases (e.g. spleen fractures due to spleen swelling, etc.), surgery may be used to deal with acute complications such as spleen fractures.

3. Limitations and risks of surgery

Although surgery can work in some cases, the treatment of lymphoma continues to rely mainly on full-body treatments such as chemotherapy and lymphoma. This is because:

Full-body characteristics of lymphoma: lymphoma is often a systemic disease that may involve multiple organs and tissues, and surgical treatment is usually only limited to local swelling and does not address the overall spread of the disease.

The tumours are highly malignant: the biological behaviour of lymphoma is more complex, cells are easily diffused and transferred, and surgical hysterectomy solves only local problems and does not completely cure diseases.

Risk of re-emergence after surgery: Even if a part of the swelling is removed by surgery, lymphoma remains at a high risk of re-emergence, especially if the whole body is not fully addressed.

As a result, the role of surgical treatment in lymphoma is limited, more as an assistive rather than a primary treatment.

Conclusions

Overall, the treatment of lymphoma relies mainly on whole-body treatments such as chemotherapy, emancipation and immunotherapy, while the use of surgically treated lymphoma is more limited. The procedure is usually used for the diagnosis (e.g., a biopsy), for the mitigation of symptoms (e.g., swelling) or for the treatment of complications. The treatment of lymphoma should be individually designed according to the specific circumstances of the patient, and the operation is often only part of, and not the core of, assisted treatment. As a result, lymphoma patients require, in addition to surgery, a combination of chemotherapy, decomposition and immunotherapy.