needs advice, Lymphadenopathy??

[vil1510]

My Father, who is 76 years old has been very weak from last one week. Sonograpy reports say that he has swollen lymph-nodes. CT scan also revealed the same, with the following major impression
''Extensive confluent retroperitoneal para aortic aorto-caval lymphadenopathy.
    Multiple enlarged nodes measuring 1 to 1.5cms seen in the aorto-caval
    para aortic region. A large retroperitoneal lymphnode measuring 5.5 x  4 cms
    seen in the left para aortic region at reneal level.''
He is breathless from last couple of days but NO FEVER at all in the till disease course. He doenst have a weight loss also, but has a loss of apetite. We are waiting for the Doctors appointment which is in next week.
I am confused with the disease condition, Actually my father was hospitalised at high grade fever before exactly two years for accumulation of pericardial fluid, which was eventually tapped and removed. Later that timepoint we got his lymph-biopsy done but the test was negative for malignanacy. He was recovered healthy, without any sign sympotoms later till date. Right now his condition is he has a peritoneal accumulation of fluid with lymphadenopathy. So again I m confused with the right cause. Can anyone suggest me what should be the right thisngs to do, I m more worried for cancer related things. PLEASE HELP

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
Your father is diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Large B-Cell type.  This type of lymphoma is of an intermediate grade.  Fortunately, this condition is responsive to treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  Stage I and II disease may be curable in up to 80% of cases.  Stage III and IV is curable 30 to 40% of the time.  
I think what are worth considering now are the risks and benefits of treatment.  The symptoms he has can be resolved with treatment.  However, there are also risks involved as the chemotherapy regimens available have potential side effects.  
You should discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with his oncologist.
Good luck.

[vil1510]

Thanks for the suggestions, actually I just now got the diagnosis report of the cervical lymphnode biopsy which indicates that it has Large B cell Lymphoma. and our tensions have are touching the sky after hearing this, I m sorry i don't have proper answers for the questions you have raised but indeed have few more quires from my side
1. what are the current therapies and are they safe for a patient aged 76
2. and what is the recovery percentile, i mean the is there a improved survival after these therapy. (though many things are mentioned in googlr search, but i found them confusing)
3. The pathologist I talked to, assured me that there is notheing to worry, and aliments like these are completely curable. believe me these are to only words which give me some confidence. Can you please help me further on these line.
Thanks again, eagerly waiting for your reply
vilas

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
Just have some clarifications.  What are your father’s coexisting illnesses?  What was the cause of the pericardial effusion?  What other laboratory examinations were already done?
You father has multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the abdominal cavity.  Enlarged lymph nodes may be caused by infection, lymphoma, or metastatic cancers.  In your father’s case, the cause of the enlarged lymph nodes is still to be determined.  What you can do now is to have the peritoneal fluid drained and the specimen sent for analysis.  The characteristic of the fluid drained can help determine the cause.  Peritoneal cell cytology can help rule-out the presence of malignancy.