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?

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.

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!!!!!!

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.

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

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

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

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.

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. "

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050501/practice.html

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

Pauliina