Football player Luana Bertolucci, who plays for the Brazilian football team and Orlando Pride, in the United States, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
The 30-year-old athlete informed, via social media, that she will start chemotherapy. Other important names in Brazilian sport have also been diagnosed with the disease.
Former player Caio Ribeiro managed to cure himself of lymphoma: “I discovered a small lump on my neck, treated it, underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and won the fight against cancer. Either you sink, or you fight the disease. And I decided to fight and thank God everything worked out”, he said, in 2023, when remembering the treatment against the disease.
The coach of the Brazilian team’s four-time world championship, Carlos Alberto Parreira, also announced, in January, that he is undergoing treatment for the type of cancer.
What is Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
According to the National Cancer Institute (Inca), Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system — composed of organs and tissues that produce the cells responsible for immunity and the vessels that carry these cells through the body.
One of the characteristics of this type of cancer is that it spreads from one group of lymph nodes to another, through the lymphatic vessels.
Generally, Hodgkin’s lymphoma appears when a lymphocyte (the body’s defense cell) transforms into a malignant cell, capable of multiplying uncontrollably and spreading to nearby tissues.
Men tend to be more prone to the disease than women. And it tends to originate more frequently in the neck and chest region. Currently, most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured with available treatment.
What increases the risk of Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
People with compromised immune systems — such as HIV carriers and patients using immunosuppressive drugs — are more prone to the disease, as well as people with a close family history.
Workers in the wood industry, farmers and other professionals exposed to pesticides and solvents may be at increased risk for the disease, especially if they have contact with proven carcinogenic agents.
What are the symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Symptoms depend on where the disease originates. If it develops in superficial lymph nodes in the neck, armpits and groin, painless bumps (swellings) form in these locations.
If the disease occurs in the chest region, the patient may experience coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain. In the pelvis or abdomen, symptoms are discomfort and abdominal distension.
Fever, tiredness, night sweats, weight loss for no apparent reason and itching on the body are also warning signs.
If you present one or more of the symptoms, it is important to investigate the possibility of the disease, seeking an early diagnosis. The diagnosis is made through a biopsy of the affected region.
What is the treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
In most cases, the disease is curable through appropriate treatment — polychemotherapy, chemotherapy with multiple drugs.
To what
What is Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer diagnosed in Parreira
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