Lymphoma, Iron Deficiency Anemia & Celiac

[davis85]

I have been diagnosed with B-Cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma/extranodal MALT lymphoma. I have a tumor in my stomach and iron deficiency anemia. In researching iron deficiency anemia, I learned of the connection between celiac, iron deficient anemia and lymphoma but when I suggested testing for celiac to my oncologist, she dismissed the idea. Does anyone else have similar experience with celiac, anemia and lymphoma to share?

[Ursa Major]

You are right to suggest testing for celiac disease. Since your oncologist is unreceptive to the idea, just go to your regular family doctor and ask him/her to order the blood tests for you.

[celiacjesse]

I have been having a pain on my right intestinal area just below my rib cage for awhile now....had to go to the ER on saturday and they did a CT and blood work, I have always been iron defficient and anemic. I've been taking iron for as long as i remember and had several blood transfusions....the ER doc said that my lymph nodes were inflammed and i called my GI doc today to schedule a followup and he said that results did'nt show anything with my lymph nodes.....so im hoping when i go see him next wednesday he schedules a scope and or biopsy so we can find out just whats goin' on!!!!!!

[ravenwoodglass]

You need to get a celiac panel done and if your doctors won't order the tests you could order antibody testing from Enterolab. They will check for antibodies to gluten, they don't 'diagnose' but they can tell you if your body is reacting to gluten, IMHO the same thing.

There is a strong corelation between lymphoma and undiagnosed celiac. It is one of the more common cancers that we develop.

Keep in mind also that you don't really need a doctors permission to eat gluten free, although a diagnosis would help to keep you safe during times when you are hospitialized. Even if your celiac panel comes back negative you should try the diet as up to 30% of us will be negative even if in the end stages. You have found a good place for info and support. Read as much as you can and ask any questions you need to.

[SurreyGirl]

if I remember correctly, the book Dangerous Grains mentions the link of celiac & lymphoma

[moldlady]

I have been diagnosed with B-Cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma/extranodal MALT lymphoma. I have a tumor in my stomach and iron deficiency anemia. In researching iron deficiency anemia, I learned of the connection between celiac, iron deficient anemia and lymphoma but when I suggested testing for celiac to my oncologist, she dismissed the idea. Does anyone else have similar experience with celiac, anemia and lymphoma to share?

Davis,

This is serious. I have a close friend that has had this for 4 years now since diagnosis. She refused surgery, chemo. , and radiation. The doctors released her. Instead, she decided to do all naturals and is still alive today but still working on the disease. All her contacts that also have had the same diagnosis and opted for surgery and chemo. have since not made it. It has been tough and it is not easy. We eat what is called a phase I and also plant based. It is very restrictive but works. It does take time. We also take (me too for other fungal reasons), really strong herbs that fight this thing. There are a whole list of antifungals and some are stronger than others. I started with oregano oil but moved on to stronger things.

One has to realize that there might be other factors too. ONe could have heavy metal toxicity that will impact your immune system. It is deep in the tissues usually and you don't know you have it until you start to detox.

Another factor is fungus/mold/mildew in the home exposures. Once this opportunistic germ gets into your system it is now taking control and is systemic. It is very tough to get rid of even when you fix the home problem. It remains in the body and makes a home.

A long history of antibiotics only makes the situation worse as it kills off all of your natural immune host probiotic organisms. This leaves open spaces for fungus to thrive.

Don't even mention it to others because they have not been trained for this and they have no way of identifying what type of 400 fungi that could be in your system.

You of course, must make the decisions. If the tumor is large, it might be best to get it removed and then you do not have to deal with the killing of it off slowly and then experiencing the die off reactions of that. My friend's tumor is no longer a tumor but an enlarged lymph node and the doctor that first saw her says that it must have been misdiagnosed because the tumor is gone and she did not have surgery or chemo. Hers was between her two kidneys and sprung from a lymph node.

This is serious stuff... please consider all options. But, know that there is a natural way too if you so decide.

I can't say much more due to lack of further information.

the moldlady

[moldlady]

I have been having a pain on my right intestinal area just below my rib cage for awhile now....had to go to the ER on saturday and they did a CT and blood work, I have always been iron defficient and anemic. I've been taking iron for as long as i remember and had several blood transfusions....the ER doc said that my lymph nodes were inflammed and i called my GI doc today to schedule a followup and he said that results did'nt show anything with my lymph nodes.....so im hoping when i go see him next wednesday he schedules a scope and or biopsy so we can find out just whats goin' on!!!!!!

Jesse,

From the place you are describing pain seems to be in the area of gall bladder. Have that checked too just in case.

moldlady

[JulesH]

I have been diagnosed with B-Cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma/extranodal MALT lymphoma. I have a tumor in my stomach and iron deficiency anemia. In researching iron deficiency anemia, I learned of the connection between celiac, iron deficient anemia and lymphoma but when I suggested testing for celiac to my oncologist, she dismissed the idea. Does anyone else have similar experience with celiac, anemia and lymphoma to share?

My dad has the same form of lymphoma (though his is specifically small-B-Cell, I'm not sure if there are different kinds), which is located in his duodenum. (I actually believe when he was first diagnosed he was told that when it's located in the stomach they treat it with antibiotics? I may be remembering that wrong.) He is very lucky and has a very mild case, basically just a small something or other that has not changed at all in size in the past 4 years, and his only treatment, after his initial round of rituxan, is an upper endoscopy twice a year, just to monitor it.

After I was diagnosed with celiac, with my brother following shortly after, and my sister having a positive blood test (though she is in denial, despite that), my dad looked into the relationship between celiac and lymphoma and asked his doctors. His GI told him there's no way, but considering all the family history, my dad avoids gluten as much as possible despite that.

[aikiducky]

This is from the website of the American Academy of Family Physicians, it's just the first thing I found with a quick google. Any GI doc who says lymphoma has nothing to do with celiac needs to do some studying. Jules, your dad need to be screened for celiac, and he needs to be 100% gluten free.

"Untreated celiac disease is associated with a number of complications, including nutritional problems, anemia, reduced bone-mineral density, and intestinal lymphoma. "

Open Original Shared Link

Google "celiac disease and lymphoma" and you'll find a lot of info, a lot of it from respectable scientific "official" sources.

Pauliina

[wellerval]

I have been diagnosed with B-Cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma/extranodal MALT lymphoma. I have a tumor in my stomach and iron deficiency anemia. In researching iron deficiency anemia, I learned of the connection between celiac, iron deficient anemia and lymphoma but when I suggested testing for celiac to my oncologist, she dismissed the idea. Does anyone else have similar experience with celiac, anemia and lymphoma to share?

PLEASE read the following article on the relationship between h.Pylori (which can be cured) and MALT Lymphoma. A non-prescription supplement that has been shown to eradicate h. Pylori is called Pepzin GI. I have no affiliation with the supplement manufacturer. Google Pubmed.org and zinc carnosine to see articles related to the Japanese study that showed success of Pepzin GI.

I was researching gastroparesis for my sister-in-law and came across your website. I have seen lots of links to iron, heme, carbon monoxide, oxytocin and h. pylori with regard to gastroparesis and wonder if the low iron experienced by Celiac could be a result of h. pylori infection. H.Pylori takes iron for its own needs, thereby depriving the body of sufficient iron. I believe all celiac sufferers should have h. pylori testing.

Rinsho Byori. 2009 Sep;57(9):861-9.

[Crucial roles of Helicobacter pylori infection in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma]

[Article in Japanese]

Ota H, Asano N, Yamauchi K, Akamatsu T.

Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan. hohta@shinshu-u.ac.jp

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram-negative helical rod that colonizes human gastric mucosa. Its discovery has opened up new opportunities regarding the understating and management of gastrointestinal disorders. In humans, infection with H. pylori has been established as a major cause of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer, and is important in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Bacterial and host factors determine the outcome of H. pylori infection. The eradication of H. pylori can, therefore, contribute to the treatment and prevention of these diseases. H. pylori infection plays a critical role in gastric carcinogenesis through two major pathways: the indirect action of H. pylori on gastric epithelial cells through inflammation, and the direct action of the bacteria on epithelial cells through the induction of protein modulation and gene mutation. MALT lymphoma is a common low grade B-cell lymphoma arising from a background of chronic inflammatory disease at a number of mucosal sites. Those originating in the stomach are causatively linked to H. pylori infection, and eradication of the bacterium with antibiotics leads to the long-term complete regression of lymphoma. t (11;18)/API2-MALT1 and t(1;14)/IGH-BCL10 are specifically associated with the gastric MALT lymphoma entity, and the oncogenic products of these translocations have been shown to target a common molecular pathway, i.e., the nuclear factor-kappaB pathway. This paper reviews recent advances in our understanding of the association of H. pylori infection with gastric cancer and gastric MALT lymphoma and the molecular genetics underlying tumor development.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

For what it's worth, I had a friend who died from indolent B-cell lymphoma, with an intestinal tumor. Well, technically, he died from MRSA, acquired during a hospitalization for pneumonia, brought on by a virus he caught while on major steroids after a stem cell transplant.

When I first learned about celiac, I asked him if his oncologist would consider testing him for celiac, and he replied that he had been tested for "wheat allergy" and he was apparently fine with wheat.

The oncologist didn't know the difference between celiac and wheat allergy. And I guess we'll never know if my friend had celiac or not.

I apologize if this sounds like a downer. I wish you the very, very best of luck and health, and think that it couldn't hurt for you to go off gluten just in case....

[Darn210]

Please feel free to continue to discuss the relationship of lymphoma, iron deficiency, anemia & Celiac. However, if you are offering advice to the original poster, please realize that this thread is coming up on two years old. The original poster has not logged in since Feb of 2008.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

oh.

I hope the OP is okay, wherever he or she is....