The lymphatic system is the defense system of the body from invasion by disease causing agents such as viruses, bacteria, or fungi. The lymphatic system consists bone marrow, spleen, thymus gland, lymph nodes, tonsils, appendix, and a few other organs.

The lymph system contains a network of vessels that assists in circulating body fluids. This vessel siphon fluids away from interstitial spaces in body tissue and returns it to the bloodstream. Another great characteristic of these vessels is that they prevent the backflow of the lymph fluid. They have specialized organs called lymph nodes that filter out destroyed microorganisms.

It also includes the lymphoid tissue through which the lymph travels. Lymphoid tissue is found in many organs, particularly the lymph nodes, and in the lymphoid follicles associated with the digestive system such as the tonsils. The system also includes all the structures dedicated to the circulation and production of lymphocytes, which includes the spleen, thymus, bone marrow and the lymphoid tissue associated with the digestive system.

The dissolved constituents of the blood do not directly come in contact with the cells and tissues in the body, but first enter the interstitial fluid, and then the cells of the body. Lymph is the fluid that is formed when interstitial fluid enters the conduits of the lymphatic system. The lymph is not pumped through the body like blood, but is moved mostly by the contractions of skeletal muscles.

The lymphatic system has three interrelated functions. It is responsible for the removal of interstitial fluid from tissues. It absorbs and transports fatty acids and fats as chyle to the circulatory system. The last function of the lymphatic system is the transport of antigen presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells, to the lymph nodes where an immune response is stimulated.

The study of lymphatic drainage of various organs is important in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. The lymphatic system, because of its physical proximity to many tissues of the body, is responsible for carrying cancerous cells between the various parts of the body in a process called metastasis. The intervening lymph nodes can trap the cancer cells. If they are not successful in destroying the cancer cells the nodes may become sites of secondary tumors.
Diseases and other problems of the lymphatic system can cause swelling and other symptoms. Problems with the system can impair the body's ability to fight infections.

Source: wikipedia.org

More info:
Animated Lymphatic System

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in cells of the immune system. The immune system works in the body fighting infections and other diseases.
One part of the immune system is the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system includes the following:

· Lymph vessels: The lymphatic system is a network of lymph vessels. Lymph vessels branch into all the tissues of the body.

· Lymph: The lymph vessels carry clear fluid called lymph. Lymph contains white blood cells, especially lymphocytes such as B cells and T cells.

· Lymph nodes: Lymph vessels are connected to small, round masses of tissue called lymph nodes. Groups of lymph nodes are found in the neck, underarms, chest, abdomen, and groin. Lymph nodes store white blood cells. They trap and remove bacteria or other harmful substances that may be in the lymph.

· Other parts of the lymphatic system: Other parts of the lymphatic system include the tonsils, thymus, and spleen. Lymphatic tissue is also found in other parts of the body including the stomach, skin, and small intestine.
Because lymphatic tissue is in many parts of the body, Hodgkin lymphoma can start almost anywhere. Usually, it's first found in a lymph node.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cells

Non Hodgkin' lymphoma begins when a lymphocyte (usually a B cell) becomes abnormal. The abnormal cell divides and duplicates itself. The new cells divide again and again, making more and more abnormal cells. The abnormal cells don't die when they should. They don't protect the body from infections or other diseases. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

lymphoma philippines

Please send your non-hodgkin's lymphoma prayer request to Stop Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Phils.). If you'd like others to be able to write to you, include your email address in the body of your prayer request - - otherwise, it won't be included. Who knows you may have some encouraging feedback in your email and hear others, too.

Prayer requests will remain on the page for approximately 6 months. If your prayer request is removed & continued prayer is still needed or desired, please feel free to submit a new prayer request.

If you have sent me a prayer request in the past and it was never posted on this page, please accept my sincerest apologies and re-send the prayer request if prayer is still needed.

For where two or three are gathered together
in My name, I am there in the midst of them.
Matthew 18:20

WELCOME

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) is a disease in human immune systems and particularly originates in the lymphatic system. It was once considered a fairly rare type of cancer, however it is now one of the most dynamic and deadly cancer. Some experts even refer to it as the "NHL epidemic". Since 1973, the incidence rate for non-hodgkin's lymphoma has nearly doubled! Lymphoma has now been considered as one of the cancers that reported highest mortality.

We are sorry for you that you happened to be here, browsing this site. Maybe, in one reason or another, you happened to arrive in this site because of the disease. You could always make a difference and live a life fully blessed.

We invite you to join us in our fight to STOP non-hodgkin's lymphoma. You may contact us at Contribute Article and leave some testimonies, articles, links, results of some researches, breakthrough treatments, and other actions you may want to do to stop non-hodgkin's lymphoma.

You may invite some friends to join us here with this advocacy.

This Site

This site is dedicated by a son to his mother who last December 2008 was diagnosed with NHL and now undergoing chemotherapy.

Vision

A virtual community of families, patients, donors, healers and friends that continuously reach to one another and constantly supporting the struggle to STOP Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the Philippines.

Things We Can Do To Help

Write to our representatives and senators and let all them know that we want more of our taxes to go towards lymphoma research. Tell them that we need better & less toxic treatments, we need a cure, and we need the cause of non-hodgkin's lymphoma to be conclusively proven. If you don't live in the Philippines, write to your government officials and request an increase in funding for lymphoma research.

Encourage your family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers all over the world to also write to their representatives and senators and to request an increase in funding for lymphoma research. We must make our voices heard if we want this epidemic to be stopped!

Many people have never heard of lymphoma. They don't realize it is now the second most rapidly increasing cancer in the U.S. and maybe to some regions and even here in the Philippines, nor that it has the second highest mortality rate of any cancer. Help raise public awareness by devoting a personal home page to non-hodgkin's lymphoma.

Avoid using herbicides (chemical weed killers) on your lawn & garden, as it is believed there is a link between herbicides and some types of lymphoma. You may also want to consider buying only organically grown produce, joining one of the organizations devoted to stopping the wide-spread use of chemical herbicides & pesticides, and asking your local power company and highway and agriculture departments to stop spraying herbicides under power lines and along the roadsides and advocating the incessant use of chemicals in farming.

Donate blood regularly. Many non-hodgkin's lymphoma patients need blood transfusions frequently.

Register to become a bone marrow donor. Some lymphoma patients die because a matched donor for a bone marrow transplant can't be found for them. You might literally save someone's life!

Pray regularly for everyone on the Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Prayer List. Also, pray that newer and better treatments, a cure, and the cause of NHL will be found soon!

Support Lymphoma Fund Raising Events, with your presence and participation.

You may want to get rid of some things no longer in used? Have a yard sale and donate the money you earn to lymphoma research. You may also want to donate money you receive from empty bottles and cans. Or, perhaps you have a stash of pennies that you can roll and donate to lymphoma research? Through research, new treatments and the cure can be found. Research costs money though!

Educate your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers about non-hodgkin's lymphoma by sending them a link to this page, giving them printed information from one of the lymphoma research organizations, through your personal home page devoted to NHL, and by talking to them about it. Invite them to get involved in this fight as well!

Make a commitment to devote an hour or two, on a regular basis, to doing one of the above suggestions. You can make a difference!

Spread the word that, "Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma must be Stopped!".

Acknowledgement: Mostly, if not entirely, of this post was taken from the STOP NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA.