Warriors and Survivors - 49

 

Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 49

B-Cell Non Hodgkins Lymphoma

 

I am Rukh Yusuf, Clinical Pharmacist, also specialized in Total Parenteral Nutrition and Bone Marrow Transplant. I have been working in Pediatric Oncology unit of a public hospital for several years. The mission of this blog is to bring to you the real-life stories of child patients suffering from cancer. Cancer is still a difficult disease to handle and treat. However, when it strikes the children, some so young that they cannot even speak, their agony is beyond expression and words. Let us pray especially for children suffering from cancer for early and complete remission. May Allah shower His Merciful Blessings upon them. Aameen.

Ali Hamza is only four-year-old young, little, cute boy. He is from Jhang and was living happily with his family in Jhang. His father is laborer and does different kinds of labor work whatever is available.  Among siblings he has an elder brother only.

Ali Hamza was healthy until he was four. He started getting pale and with puffy body, at first parents did not notice, later he developed fever and body pain as well. When the condition prevailed, they took him to local doctor who transfused blood to him.

He did not improve much, local physician referred him to children hospital for proper work up and diagnosis. Ali Hamza was admitted initially in medical unit and from there his initial investigations and treatment was started and later he was shifted to Oncology unit. Here he was diagnosed as case of B Cell NHL on Flow cytometry.

His treatment has been started since couple of months. Ali Hamza looks generally stable but little angel has stage four severe disease. His two courses of chemotherapy have been completed and more to go.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is generally divided into 2 main types, based on whether it starts in B lymphocytes (B cells) or T lymphocytes (T cells). There are many different types of B-cell lymphomas. Treatment usually depends both on the type of lymphoma and the stage (extent) of the disease, but many other factors can be important as well.

B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tends to grow quickly. Most often, the treatment is chemotherapy, usually with a regimen of 4 drugs known as CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), plus the monoclonal antibody rituximab. This regimen, known as R-CHOP, is most often given in cycles 3 weeks apart. Because this regimen contains the drug doxorubicin, which can damage the heart, it may not be suitable for patients with heart problems, so other chemo regimens may be used instead.

 

Little one does not know about his disease; he is too young to understand. I could see that his mother doesn’t know fully the disease and its severity. Seeing these families and parents I sometimes feel that ignorance is a bliss in some cases. As they are not fully aware about the details of the disease, so they have the courage to handle it, otherwise it is dying like condition every moment when your child is terminally sick.

Most people who seek treatment in public sector hospitals usually belong to lower middle class with little or no formal education. Even after counseling, their understanding about treatment and disease consequences is vague. But this is generally good for them to a certain extent, they keep going and have hopes for better that enables them to fight with the disease and hardships they have to face.

 

We can pray for the ease of the suffering family and the complete health and recovery of Ali Hamza and all warriors who are suffering silently and those who even don’t know their disease and what is going on with them.

May Allah ease and cure all patients and cancer warriors.

 

 

Note: Names have been changed to protect identity