Health & Lifestyle

Varicose veins could be a sign of CANCER, doctors warn – after treating 53-year-old woman with aggressive lymphoma

  • A woman in China who had varicose veins and fever was diagnosed with cancer 
  • Doctors warned that vague symptoms can make lymphoma hard to diagnose 
  • READ MORE: Lifesaving cancer therapy may itself CAUSE cancer, FDA warns

Doctors are warning that varicose veins could be a commonly missed sign of cancers like lymphoma.

A 53-year-old woman in China went to her doctor after three months of worsening varicose veins covering her chest and abdomen, as well as a fever.

Doctors performed a deep-skin biopsy, which revealed intravascular large B-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that attacks small blood vessels. 

The team warned that vague symptoms like these can make lymphoma, which affects nearly 90,000 Americans every year, more difficult to diagnose. 

The patient (pictured here) had varicose veins covering her chest and abdomen, as well as a persistent fever

The patient (pictured here) had varicose veins covering her chest and abdomen, as well as a persistent fever

A deep-skin biopsy revealed intravascular large B-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that attacks small blood vessels

A deep-skin biopsy revealed intravascular large B-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that attacks small blood vessels

Varicose veins are twisted, swollen, or enlarged veins just underneath the skin. They are usually found in the legs, though they can occur in any vein close to the skin’s surface. They are usually dark purple or blue. 

Weak or damaged heart valves can lead to varicose veins. This is because the arteries have to carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. 

When the valves are damaged, they have a harder time pumping blood back to the heart, leading to blood building up in the veins.

Though they can be painless, varicose veins can cause aching, burning, and throbbing, especially after sitting or standing for long periods of time.

Veins become weak or damaged due to age, obesity, pregnancy, or having an inactive lifestyle.

B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of lymphoma. It starts in the B-cells, which make antibodies to protect you from viruses. 

Intravascular B-cell lymphoma produces cancer cells in the lumens, the passage in the small vessels that blood flows through. 

According to the American Cancer Society, since this form of cancer attacks the small blood vessels, it could lead to blood getting backed up into the veins. This could weaken them and lead to varicose veins. 

Symptoms include fever, night sweats, weight loss, fatigue, stomach pain, rashes, itchy skin, and bloating, all of which are often attributed to other conditions.

‘The disease is challenging to diagnose owing to its nonspecific symptoms and signs,’ the medical team wrote.

‘In this case, the patient’s isolated skin involvement was consistent with the cutaneous [skin] subtype of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.’ 

The patient received chemotherapy. As of her six-month follow-up visit, she showed no sign of the disease. 

Varicose veins have been seen in other patients with intravascular lymphoma, though not as severe as the patient in China.   

The case study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine

What is lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes, which is the body’s disease-fighting network.

That network consists of the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and thymus gland. 

There are various types of lymphoma, but two main ones: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin.

Both have much better prognoses than many types of cancer. 

WHAT IS HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the white blood cells. It is named after Thomas Hodgkin, an English doctor who first identified the disease in 1832.  

It affects around 2,000 people each year in the UK, and 8,500 a year in the US.

Hodgkin lymphoma is most common between the ages of 20 and 24, and 75 and 79. 

Five-year survival rates:

The survival rates are much more favourable than most other cancers. 

  • Stage 1: 90%
  • Stage 2: 90%
  • Stage 3: 80%
  • Stage 4: 65% 

Symptoms include: 

  • A painless swelling in the armpits, neck and groin 
  • Heavy night sweating
  • Extreme weight loss 
  • Itching
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Coughing 

Risk factors: 

  • Lowered immunity
  • A family history of the condition
  • Smokers 
  • Those who are overweight

Treatment: 

  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiotherapy
  • Steroids 
  • Stem cell or bone marrow transplants

WHAT IS NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body but is usually first noticed in the lymph nodes around sufferers’ necks.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma affects around 14,000 new people every year in the UK. In the US, more than 80,000 people are diagnosed annually.

It is more common in males than females, and it is commonly diagnosed either in a patient’s early 20s or after the age of 55. 

Five-year survival rates:

Survival can vary widely with NHL. 

The general survival rate for five years is 70 percent, and the chance of living 10 years is approximately 60 percent. 

Symptoms include:

  • Painless swellings in the neck, armpit or groin
  • Heavy night sweating
  • Unexplained weight loss of more than one-tenth of a person’s body
  • Itching

Risk factors:

  • Over 75
  • Have a weak immune system
  • Suffer from coeliac disease
  • Have a family history of the condition 
  • Have had other types of cancer

Treatment:

It depends on the number and locations of the body affected by Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Therapy typically includes chemotherapy.


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