Lymphoma Overview

Lymphoma is type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, and helps filter out bacteria and fight disease. Most of us are familiar with the term lymph nodes, and they can develop in normal situations at any time in our lives, usually when we are sick or have an infection. Lymph vessels will widen into lymph nodes, and can be felt in the neck or under the arms. If the cells in the lymph node begin to multiply without control, the cells can become cancerous, developing into lymphoma.

Types of Lymphoma

There are two main groups of Lymphoma - Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is distinguished by the presence of the Reed-Sternberg cell. While the development of the disease is the basically the same as Non Hodgkin's, a diagnosis of Hodgkin's will always have the presence of the Reed-Sternberg cell as the primary factor in the diagnosis of this type of cancer.

Non Hodgkin's lymphoma is a term that encompasses a variety of cancers affecting the immune system. There are about 30 different types of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Because both diseases begin in the lymphatic system, these types of cancer can affect any part of the body where lymphatic tissue is present.

Symptoms of Lymphoma

General symptoms of lymphoma include swelling of a lymph node, unintended weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, fevers, and feeling itchy without an apparent cause.

Symptoms differ also depending on the type of lymphoma. Symptoms of non-Hodgkins lymphoma differ from Hodgkins lymphoma symptoms.

Causes and Risk Factors for Lymphoma

Unfortunately, researchers cannot exactly pinpoint what causes lymphoma. They have however, identified risk factors for the disease.

Risk factors for lymphoma include increased, age, weakened immune system, exposure to high levels of radiation, infections like HIV/AIDS and mononucleosis, and family history.

Preventing Lymphoma

Because we don't know exactly what causes lymphoma, it is not possible to prevent the disease.