What are the symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)?
Compared with the general population, patients with this complication have high rates of stage IV disease with systemic (B) symptoms and sparse node involvement. Common symptoms are fever of unknown origin, liver dysfunction, marrow suppression, lung disease (effusions, multinodular infiltrates, mass lesions, diffuse infiltrates, and/or hilar adenopathy), GI involvement (any level with pain and weight loss), and CNS with mass lesions. How do you diagnose lymphomas? Fine needle aspirates of enlarged nodes are helpful if positive, but false negatives are common. Biopsy is usually necessary. How are lymphomas treated and what should be expected? The usual treatment is chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP); methotrexate, bleomycin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone + G-CSF (M-BACOD); or etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin (EPOCH). Response rates are 50%-60%, but the long-
