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Weldon's Story
The inspirational story of Weldon's triumph over a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
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Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma generally occurs in children between the ages of two and ten, and is more common among boys than girls. There are many different types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that develops in children differs from the form that develops in adults based on a difference in the grade of tumor. The majority of cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in children are high-grade (fast growing) malignant tumors. In rare instances, tumors of intermediate and low grade may be seen in children.

  • Low-grade (slow growing) types of lymphoma include: small lymphocytic lymphoma; follicular lymphoma; mucosal-associated lymphoma tissue; marginal zone lymphoma; monocytoid B-cell lymphoma (which accounts for 30 to 40 percent of all lymphomas found); and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

  • Intermediate-grade types of lymphoma include: follicular large-cell lymphoma; diffuse small cleaved cell lymphoma; mantle cell lymphoma; peripheral T-cell lymphoma; immunoblastic diffuse large cell lymphoma; and anaplastic Ki-1 large-cell lymphoma (CD30+).

  • High-grade (highly aggressive) types of lymphoma include: Burkitt's lymphoma, non-Burkitt's lymphoma, and lymphoblastic lymphoma.
  • Symptoms
    The most common symptom of a lymphoma is painless enlargement of one or more lymph nodes in the region of the neck, underarm, or groin. Enlarged lymph nodes in children with lymphoma may resemble those of children who have an infection involving the lymph nodes.
  • Treatment
    Comprehensive treatment programs are designed according to the type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with which the patient has been diagnosed. Treatment comprises the use of combination chemotherapy. In select cases, radiation is included as a part of the treatment.
  • Diagnosis
    The diagnosis of a lymphoma is made by excisional biopsy, a surgical procedure in which a portion of the enlarged lymph node or other suspected areas (known as a "mass") is removed, so that the cells in the mass can be examined.
  • Staging
    Once the diagnosis of a lymphoma has been made, tests may be performed to determine how far the cancer has spread. This is called staging.

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Last Updated: Jun. 28, 2006
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