Lymphoma
What is Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is the general term for cancer in your lymphatic system, the network of tissues, vessels and organs that help your body fight infection. It’s considered a blood cancer because the condition starts in white blood cells (lymphocytes) in your lymphatic system.
There are two main lymphoma categories: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma; and more than 70 lymphoma subtypes. Lymphomas can be aggressive (fast-growing) or indolent (slow-growing). Often, treatment can put lymphoma into remission or cure it. Children, teenagers and adults may develop lymphoma. This article focuses on lymphomas that affect adults.
Types
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made.
- Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells. This cancer attacks the skin. Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma affects one type of germ-fighting white blood cells called B cells. These cells also are called B lymphocytes.
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells. The cancer affects white blood cells called T cells, also called T lymphocytes. These cells help the body’s germ-fighting immune system. In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, the T cells attack the skin.
- Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the body’s germ-fighting and disease-fighting immune system. Hodgkin lymphoma begins when healthy cells in the lymphatic system change and grow out of control.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is made up of organs, glands, tubelike vessels and clusters of cells called lymph nodes. It’s part of the body’s germ-fighting immune system.
- Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (mak-roe-glob-u-lih-NEE-me-uh) is a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is considered a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s sometimes called lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.
Symptoms
- Painless swelling of one or more lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin that doesn’t go away within a few weeks.
- Persistent fatigue, when you feel very tired day after day even after getting enough sleep.
- Fever stays above 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.5 degrees Celsius) for more than two days, or a fever that comes back.
- 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.
Causes
Healthcare professionals aren’t sure what causes lymphoma. Lymphoma begins with changes in the DNA of a disease-fighting blood cell called a lymphocyte.
A cell’s DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA gives instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate. Healthy cells die at a set time.
In cancer cells, the DNA changes give different instructions. The changes tell the cancer cells to make more cells quickly. The cancer cells can go on living when healthy cells would die.
Risk factors
- A weakened immune system. If the immune system is weakened by medicines or illness, there might be a higher risk of lymphoma. People with a weakened immune system include those taking medicines to control the immune system, such as after an organ transplant. Certain health conditions, such as infection with HIV, also can weaken the immune system.
- Family history. People who have a parent, sibling or child with lymphoma are at higher risk of the disease.
- Specific infections. Some infections increase the risk of developing lymphoma. Examples include Epstein-Barr virus, Helicobacter pylori and HIV.
Your age. Some types of lymphoma are more common in teens and young adults. Others happen more often in people over 55.
Stages
Because there are several types of lymphoma, the staging system used may vary depending on the cancer type. However, the most common system assigns a stage to the cancer from Stage 1 to 4. Stages 1 and 2 are considered early stages, and Stages 3 and 4 are considered advanced. Lymphoma usually starts in the lymph nodes, so lymphoma staging is based on this.
- Stage 1: The cancer is present in only one area of lymph nodes within the body.
- Stage 2: The cancer is present in at least two lymph node areas, both on the same side of the diaphragm, a muscle under the lungs. A Stage 2 diagnosis may also mean the cancer has spread from one lymph node area into one nearby organ.
- Stage 3: The cancer is present in multiple lymph node areas, both above and below the diaphragm.
Stage 4: The cancer has spread outside of the lymph nodes to at least one other organ, most often the lungs, liver or bone marrow.
Grade
*Grades appear to be specific to the type of lymphoma*
5-Year Survival Rate
At a glance:
| Estimated new cases in 2024 | 80,350 |
| % of all new cancer cases | 3.9% |
| Estimated deaths in 2024 | 19,390 |
| % of all cancer deaths | 3.1%/td> |
| 5-year relative survival (2014–2020) | 91.2% |