How To Know When Lymph Node Swelling Is A Health Threat That Killed Tishaa Kumar

Lymph nodes on the body have several functions before it is a cause of any concern.

After losing her daughter, Tishaa Kumar to an autoimmune disorder which was misdiagnosed as cancer, Tanya Singh, aunt of T-Series head Bhushan Kumar, on Friday shared a heartbreaking plea to take multiple opinions before getting into invasive tests like bone marrow biopsies. She also highlighted the medical misdiagnosis and cleared that her daughter didn't die of cancer.

In her post, Tanya shared a video with pictures of her daughter Tishaa and wrote that she did not have cancer but suffered due to misdiagnosis. "The truth is that my daughter did not have 'cancer' to begin with. She had a vaccine at age 15-an-a-half, which possibily triggered an autoimmune situation, which was wrongly diagnosed (we did not know this at the time), (sic)."

In her post Tanya revealed that her daughter had Lymph nodes which she said "are the body's defense guards and they can also swell due to emotional trauma, etc, or due to a previous infection not treated fully."

Tanya's post raised concerning questions on medical protocols, the need of certain procedures, and the dangers of misdiagnosis. In the light of these events, which aren't one of a case, ETV Bharat Health got in touch with Dr. Pradeep Mahajan, founder of Stemrx hospital and research centre to know about Lymph Nodes swelling situation in depth and when one needs to know that it is threat to their health.

According to Dr. Mahajan, a sudden swelling that appear on any body part is Lymph nodes, containing lymphocytes and other white blood cells that circulate through the lymphatic fluid, which aids the body in fighting infections and illnesses.

"Lymph node is part of the immune system. It is a tiny, bean-shaped structure that belongs to the immune system of the body," says Dr. Mahajan and adds that there are numerous lymph nodes all over the body. He says, the lymphatic system is a network of vessels, nodes, and ducts that pass through almost all bodily tissues. "It allows the circulation of a fluid called lymph through the body in a similar way to blood but the function is different."

Functions of Lymph nodes

Lymph nodes on the body have several functions before it is a cause of any concern.

• Immune Defense:helps the body fight off all the infections it has by transporting lymph and filtering out pathogens in the lymph nodes.
• Fluid balance: Maintains proper fluid balance throughout the body by returning excess issue fluid (interstitial fluid) to the bloodstream to prevent swelling (edema).
• Fat absorption: The lymphatic system absorbs fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the gut through the lymph vessels into the intestines and especially by the chylomicrons.
• Waste Removal: It removes wastes, damaged cells, and all debris from the body.

Do Lymph nodes play role in developing Cancer or other infections?

"Generally, lymph nodes are tender, soft and movable. If the focus of infection is addressed, antibiotics or medications often regress swelling purposefully," says Dr. Mahajan. However, in case of cancer, in malignant (cancerous) processes, lymph nodes are usually firm, fixed and do not elicit tenderness. Such lymph nodes do not respond to common antibiotics and antivirals.

"Lymph nodes' involvement in either a malignant or a non-malignant condition differs as in the case of infections, antibiotics will not work. In case of cancerous lymph nodes treatment modalities are required, such as surgical, chemotherapeutic, or radio therapeutic might be applicable," says Dr Mahajan.

Role of Lymphatic system in cancer:

Malignant (Cancerous) Lymphoma can be described as a swelling of lymph nodes that is associated with metastatic cancer progression to the lymph nodes. "As malignancy spreads, lymphocytes carry the malignancy to the lymph node, increasing its size, hardening it, and restricting movement of the node. These nodes can be painful, or in some cases, not nearly as distressing," explains the doctor.

On the other hand, non-malignant lymphs are caused by rapidly depleting or auto immune states, which are painful mobile nodes. "Invasion by viruses or resident bacteria fosters increased immune cell generation which is responsible for enlarging and swelling lymph nodules. There is a stable albumin presence in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells," says Dr. Mahajan.

What causes Lymph node swelling

Lymph node swelling can be caused by various conditions, including infections or autoimmune disorders, and does not automatically indicate cancer. "Proper diagnosis is essential, often involving imaging, blood tests, and sometimes a biopsy to confirm or rule out cancer before any conclusions are made," says the doctor and cautions that before getting into any invasive check-ups, it is important to take multiple opinions and try treatment to treat non-malignant lymph. "If the treatment doesn't work, revisit your physician for specialist consultation or an Oncologist,"suggests Dr. Mahajan.