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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
After several years of suffering, Françoise Hardy died yesterday, Tuesday June 11, at the age of 80. What is lymphoma, this cancer that affected him in the early 2000s? Let’s take stock with Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
It was through social networks that Thomas Dutronc announced the news: his mother Françoise Hardy died on Tuesday June 11, at the age of 80. The singer fought for many years against different cancers, including one of the larynx, which she revealed in 2019.
But the first disease that affected her in the early 2000s was lymphoma, more precisely Malt’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system affecting the lymphoid tissues associated with the mucous membranes.
What is lymphoma?
“This cancer of the immune system develops when an error occurs in the production of lymphocytes, leading to the production of abnormal cells.” we can read on the website of the National Cancer Institute.
Lymphomas fall into the category of blood cancers and are divided into two categories:
- Of the Hodgkin’s lymphoma, in 20% of cases, with lymph nodes that swell abnormally and are hard without presenting pain or inflammation. To establish the diagnosis, tests are necessary: blood tests, medical imaging tests and a biopsy of one or more lymph nodes;
- Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) – in 80% of cases – which are not one and the same disease. They constitute a group of diseases whose main common point is to be cancers of the immune system. Each type is distinguished by particular morphological, immunological, genetic characteristics as well as its own evolution.
What are the first signs of lymphoma?
Among the most common early signs and symptoms of lymphoma, Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, cites the presence of:
- A painless swelling of one or more lymph nodes, usually in the neck, armpits, groin, or chest. This is often the first sign detected;
- A persistent fever, especially at night;
- Severe night sweats wetting the sheets or clothes;
- Unexplained weight loss;
- Unusual fatigue and lack of energy;
- Persistent itchy skin with no apparent cause;
- Loss of appetite;
- A persistent cough or shortness of breath if the chest lymph nodes are affected.
“Although these symptoms may resemble those of other mild illnesses such as flutheir persistence over time without any other explanation should alert you and lead you to consult a doctor for a diagnosis. specifies the doctor.
“Painless lymph node swelling is often the first sign of lymphoma, frequently accompanied by general symptoms such as fever, night sweats and weight loss.
Remember that in France, lymphoma is the 5th most common cancer in adults, the 3rd most common cancer in children under 14 years old and the cancer most often diagnosed in adolescents aged 15 to 17 years old. Statistically, however, their frequency increases after age 65.