When you say you were itchy how itchy were you and was it all over your body or in a certain area? Also how were all of you diagnosed with lymphoma? Ive had ct scans blood work and a biopsy and everything was negative but i still have swollen nodes so they want me to get a pET scan and i am so afraid. I am 23 years old and still in college taking on two majors and afraid I have cancer. The biopsy came up benign but i can still feel my nodes so my doctor wants to rule out all cancer i guess?
how did you all find out you had cancer what kind of biopsys did you get etc if you dont midn me asking and how was the itchy thing?
i have no B symptoms but i do itch but ive been itchy since i was 2 years old i have dry skin and ezcema
Hi.
It’s great to hear from you again.
I’m happy that your PET scan did not show any tracer activity. It means that you are responding very well to your treatment. As for your question on itching, I do have patients who complain of on and off itchiness during and even after treatment. These patients have no evidence of disease after several cycles of chemotherapy, and yet they complain not only of itchiness but also sweating. I just reassure them that the scans are all negative and that they have nothing to worry about. But I do tell them to be extra vigilant with regards to the symptoms they are and will be experiencing and to religiously follow their check-up schedule.
Take care always.
Thank you for supportive comments. I am now on my 4th cycle of chemotherapy. The itching went after two weeks into my chemotherapy. However now it has returned again. Has anyone else suffered from itching after chemotherapy?
Just to let you know I had a PET scan and am I now in the clear (which is good news :) ) but I have started to get itchy again. If someone could please advise and let me know if they have experienced something similar then that would be great.
Hi there,
First of all congrats on getting married! I was diagnosed with hodgkins(stage 2A) in fall of 2005 at the age of 33. I went through 7 months of ABVD therapy. I am now in remission. I felt great during the first 2 months of chemo. As the chemo sessions continued I started to feel a little worse after each session (nausea, tired). I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have along the way or concerns. I will say that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was such a wonderful resource to me and my family during this time. They have great support groups, financial aid program and patient resources. I suggest you check them out. I believe in LLS so much that I am now training for a triathlon with their team in training.
Hi.
Have you started your chemotherapy?
You may want to try also Hydroxyzine if Cetirizine did not work for you. The itchiness of the skin will stop once chemotherapy is given.
Good luck to you and stay positive.
Many thanks for your supportive comments. I have tried Cetirizine, however it does not stop the itching.
Anything else that you could think would help?
Hi.
Congratulations on your wedding.
ABVD (Doxorubicin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine) regimen is a common combination used for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is given every 2 weeks for about 12 sessions or 6 cycles (1 cycle = 2 sessions), depending on your response to treatment.
If you are highly considering having a child someday, I suggest you tell this to your doctor since one of the side effects of chemotherapy is infertility. Other side effects include hair loss, body weakness, nausea and vomiting, and allergic reaction. These are manageable with supportive measures.
Generalized itching is one of the symptoms of lymphoma. This can be managed with intake of antihistamine like Cetirizine.
Hope this helps.
God bless you always.