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Lymphoma

About Lymphoma

 

In weekly microscope rounds, lymphoma cells such as these are evaluated by a multidisciplinary team
Lymphoma is a blood cancer that attacks the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system.  The most common of the more than 30 subtypes of lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma (also known as Hodgkin’s disease) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).  Nearly 65,000 cases are estimated to be diagnosed in 2005.  Since the early 1970’s, incidence rates for NHL have nearly doubled.  More recently, incidence rates have stabilized, due primarily to the decline in AIDS-related NHL.  Overall, incidence rates for Hodgkin lymphoma have declined significantly since 1990 at a rate of 1.2 percent per year.

Risk Factors

Lymphomas have not been shown to be linked to age, sex or race.  While many risk factors have been identified, most of them are associated with severely reduced immune function, but the causes of the majority of lymphomas are unknown.  NLH risk is elevated in persons with organ transplants who receive immune suppressants to prevent transplant rejection, in people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell leukemia/ lymphoma virus-I (HTLV-I), and probably hepatitis C virus (HCV).  Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes Burkitt lymphoma and may be related to other lymphomas.  H.pylori infection increases the risk of gastric lymphoma.  Occupational exposures to herbicides, organic solvents, and certain other chemicals appear to increase risk, though the mechanism is unknown.  Some studies have suggested a role for diet, exercise, and obesity, but the relationships have not yet been confirmed.  A family history of lymphomas is linked to higher risk.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms for lymphomas are often vague.  Symptoms may include itching, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, intermittent fever, a general feeling of loss of well being, or enlarged lymph nodes.


Reference: American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org