Lymphoma

Types of lymphomas

Lymphoma is a cancer that involves the lymphocytes, which are immune system cells. There are about 35 different types of lymphoma cancer.

Lymphomas

There are two main categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin’s disease, which is now commonly called Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, also known as NHL. These two types of lymphoma may have the same symptoms, but are different on a molecular level. Hodgkin’s lymphoma accounts for about five different varieties of cancer while non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma accounts for the other thirty. Diagnosing lymphoma is made more difficult by the many different types of the disease. Treatment can be difficult, too, because each type responds a little differently to the common treatments.

Lymphoma is spread through the body via lymphocytes. It is the most common blood cancer in the United States, and it can affect people of any age, including small children.

Some common forms are Burkitt’s lymphoma and CNS lymphoma. Burkitt’s is an aggressive form of the cancer that’s often present in people who have an HIV infection. This occurs more frequently in men than women. CNS lymphoma affects the central nervous system, which is a non-Hodgkin’s form of the disease that spreads to the brain.

Lymphoma Symptoms

One of the most common lymphoma symptoms is swollen lymph nodes. However, this symptom alone doesn’t mean you have the disease, as swollen nodes are common with many minor illnesses like colds. But swelling that doesn’t go away should be checked out by a doctor, particularly if the swollen nodes are in the armpits or the chest.

Skin lymphomas can appear as red itchy bumps, rashes or lesions. Other general lymphoma symptoms include chest pain, weight loss, unexplained and recurring fever, fatigue and general lack of energy, lower back pain and lymph nodes that are sore or tender after drinking alcohol.

Night sweats are also a symptom of lymphoma, and these are usually accompanied with a fever. It’s one of the symptoms that usually indicate a much more minor disease, but when they occur in tandem with other symptoms, lymphoma may be the cause.