KATH disseminates lymphoma research information

Kumasi, Oct 27, GNA - The Directorate of Medicine of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has embarked on a programme to disseminate the current research information on Lymphoproliferative disorders to doctors to enable them undertake proper diagnosis of the disease.

Lymphoma is a tumour of the lymphoid tissue or of the yellowish body fluid.


Lymphoma disorders have been seen as the second cause of Hyper-reactive Malaria Splenomegaly (HMS) (that is a type of malaria leading to the enlargement of the spleen) cases at the KATH. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi before a research information dissemination programme for some doctors from KATH, Brong-Ahafo and Eastern regions on Wednesday, Dr George Bedu-Addo, Head of the Directorate of Medicine at KATH, said lymphoma had been the major cause of massive attendance at the "Big Spleen" clinic of the hospital. He said the disorders were prevalent in the Ashanti Region and mostly affected women who are between the ages of 20 and 40.

Dr Bedu-Addo said most doctors did not only find problems with diagnosing the disorders but also treatment was expensive and drugs not readily available.


He said the dissemination of research information on the disorders would enable doctors undertake proper diagnosis and refer patients to the "Big Spleen" clinic immediately for treatment. Dr Imelda Bates of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK, said since the disease was associated with malaria, there was the need for more research to enable doctors undertake proper diagnosis.