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Lymphoma
"Lymphoma" is a term that encompasses a group of blood cancers affecting the lymphatic system. There are two main types of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. With proper treatment, healthcare providers can often successfully manage and cure lymphoma.
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma refers to cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, which is a network of tissues, vessels, and organs responsible for helping your body fight infections. Since lymphoma begins in the white blood cells, known as lymphocytes, within the lymphatic system, it is classified as a type of blood cancer.
Lymphomas are classified into two primary categories: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There are over 70 subtypes of lymphoma, which can vary in their growth rate. Some lymphomas are aggressive and grow quickly, while others are indolent and grow slowly. Treatment often results in remission or even a cure. Lymphoma can affect people of all ages, including children, teenagers, and adults. This article specifically addresses lymphomas that impact adults.
Is lymphoma a common illness?
No, lymphoma isn’t common. The American Cancer Society estimates 89,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2023. For comparison, 236,740 people in the U.S. will receive a lung cancer diagnosis in 2023.
Who is affected by lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma primarily affects individuals between the ages of 60 and 80. It is more prevalent among men and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) compared to women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB).
Hodgkin lymphoma, on the other hand, commonly occurs in two age groups: people between the ages of 20 and 39, and those who are 65 or older. Men and individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) are slightly more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma than women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB).
What are common lymphoma symptoms?
Many symptoms of lymphoma can resemble those of other, less serious conditions. Experiencing these symptoms does not necessarily indicate lymphoma. However, it is important to consult a healthcare provider if you notice changes in your body that persist for several weeks or more.
- Painless swelling of one or more lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groin that does not resolve within a few weeks.
- Ongoing fatigue, where you feel extremely tired day after day despite getting adequate sleep.
- A fever that remains above 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.5 degrees Celsius) for more than two days, or a recurring fever.
- Drenching night sweats, sweating that are so intense that you wake up to find your pajamas and sheets soaking wet.
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea), when you feel as if you can’t get enough air in your lungs.
- Unexplained weight loss, when you’ve lost 10% of your total body weight over six months without dieting or exercise.
What causes lymphoma?
Lymphoma happens when the white blood cells in your lymphatic system change (mutate) into rapidly growing cancer cells that don’t die. Like most cancers, the majority of the genetic mutations that cause lymphoma happen spontaneously, without an identifiable cause. But research suggests the following conditions or issues may increase your risk of developing lymphoma:
- You have or have had viruses including HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), Epstein-Barr (mononucleosis) and Kaposi sarcoma human immunodeficiency virus.
- You have a family history of lymphoma.
- Your immune system is weakened by other conditions or medical treatments. For example, people who have organ transplants take immunosuppressant medication to keep their bodies from rejecting the transplanted organ.
- You have an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease happens when your immune system accidentally attacks your body instead of protecting it.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is lymphoma diagnosed?
Healthcare providers diagnose lymphoma by doing physical examinations to evaluate potential lymphoma symptoms and biopsies to obtain tissue for examination by a medical pathologist. If laboratory tests show signs of lymphoma, providers may do certain blood and imaging tests to learn more about your condition and to plan treatment.
Blood tests
- Management and Treatment
- Fever of 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit (39.5 degrees Celsius) or above.
- Chills.
- Productive or “wet” cough.
- Belly (abdominal) pain.
- Persistent diarrhea that lasts for more than two weeks.
- How do you know I have lymphoma?
- What kind of lymphoma do I have?
- How long have I had lymphoma?
- What are my treatment options?
- What are each treatment’s side effects?
- What’s my prognosis?
What are lymphoma treatments?
Treatments vary based on lymphoma type. For example, if you have a slow-growing lymphoma, your healthcare provider may recommend active surveillance (watchful waiting) before starting treatment. In active surveillance, providers carefully monitor your overall health and signs of lymphoma.
Common lymphoma treatments include:
- Prevention
How can I reduce my risk of developing lymphoma?
Researchers continue to identify lymphoma risk factors. There’s reason to believe certain viruses and family medical history increase the risk of developing lymphoma. Talk to your healthcare provider if you think your medical history or family medical history might increase your risk of developing lymphoma.
Outlook / Prognosis
What can I expect if I have lymphoma?
Your prognosis is what you can expect after completing treatment. Your specific prognosis depends on your situation, such as the type of lymphoma you have, your age and your overall health. That said, treatment often puts lymphoma into remission or cures the condition. Remission means you don’t have lymphoma symptoms and tests don’t find signs of lymphoma.
Lymphoma in remission can come back (recur). If you have lymphoma in remission, you’ll have regular follow-up appointments with your healthcare provider. They may do tests to check for signs of lymphoma. Symptoms are changes that you can feel in your body and describe to others. Signs are changes in something measured, like your temperature or blood tests to check white blood cell counts.
What are the survival rates for lymphoma?
Overall, survival rate data show 89% of people with Hodgkin lymphoma and 74% of people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma were alive five years after diagnosis.
Survival rates are estimates based on the experiences of groups of people with the same disease. Survival rate estimates can’t predict how long a person may live with lymphoma. If you have questions about lymphoma survival rates, ask your healthcare provider to explain what you can expect.
Living With
How can I take care of myself if I have lymphoma?
If you have lymphoma, you might benefit by creating a plan for living with lymphoma. This plan could see you through initial treatment and any follow-up treatment. Here are some things to consider as you develop your plan:
What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?
Cancer is a journey, and your questions will change throughout your journey. If you’re just learning you have lymphoma, here are some basic questions you might want to ask:
Additional Common Questions
Is lymphoma a serious cancer?
That depends on the type of lymphoma. For example, non-Hodgkin lymphoma may make your body more vulnerable to life-threatening infections, other kinds of cancer or heart disease. Data show about 3 in 100,000 people worldwide die of some type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Does lymphoma show up in blood work (blood tests)?
Blood tests may detect issues like having a high white blood cell count that may be a sign of lymphoma, leukemia, or other blood cancers. But they don’t detect lymphoma. Healthcare providers diagnose lymphoma based on biopsy and imaging tests results.
Where does lymphoma most often start?
Lymphoma can start almost anywhere you have lymphocytes. These are infection-fighting white blood cells that are found throughout your lymphatic system. You have lymphocytes in your lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and other areas of your body. The most common early symptom is swollen lymph nodes in your neck, upper chest, armpit, belly, or groin.
How long can you have lymphoma without noticing?
You can have lymphoma for years without noticing changes in your body. Sometimes, people learn they have the condition of lymphoma because routine imaging tests detect signs of lymphoma.