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Lymphoma
Also called: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. There are many types of
lymphoma. One type is Hodgkin disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas begin when a type of white blood cell, called a T cell or B cell, becomes
abnormal. The cell divides again and again, making more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells
can spread to almost any other part of the body. Most of the time, doctors don't know why a person gets
non-Hodgkin lymphoma. You are at increased risk if you have a weakened immune system or have
certain types of infections.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause many symptoms, such as
Swollen, painless lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
Unexplained weight loss
Fever
Soaking night sweats
Coughing, trouble breathing or chest pain

 Weakness and tiredness that don't go away

Pain, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen
Your doctor will diagnose lymphoma with a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray, and a biopsy.
Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, biological therapy, or therapy to
remove proteins from the blood. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without
harming normal cells. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. If you don't have
symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. This is called watchful waiting.
NIH: National Cancer Institute

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Start Here
General Information about Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer
Institute)
Also available in Spanish
What Is Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?(American Cancer Society)
Also available in Spanish
What You Need to Know about Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish

The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:Basics,Learn More,
andMultimedia & Cool Tools.

For group Basics

Overviews
Diagnosis/Symptoms
Treatment
Prevention/Screening

For group Learn More

Alternative Therapy
Coping
Disease Management
Specific Conditions
Related Issues

For group Multimedia & Cool Tools

Videos

The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:Research,Reference
Shelf, andFor You.

For group Research

Financial Issues
Clinical Trials
Genetics
Research
Journal Articles

For group Reference Shelf

Dictionaries/Glossaries
Directories
Organizations
Statistics

For group For You

Children
Teenagers
Patient Handouts

Overviews
General Information about Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer
Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Lymphoma Guide: Information for Patients and Caregivers(Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
Also available in Spanish
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Diagnosis/Symptoms
Beta-2 Microglobulin Tumor Marker(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
How Is Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Diagnosed?(American Cancer Society)
Also available in Spanish
How Is Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia Diagnosed?(American Cancer Society)
Needle Biopsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Stages of Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Stages of AIDS-Related Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Stages of Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Stages of Mycosis Fungoides and the Sezary Syndrome
(National Cancer Institute)
Staging Primary CNS Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)

Understanding Blood Counts(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)

Understanding Lab and Imaging Tests(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
Treatment
Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation:
Questions and Answers
(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Drugs Approved for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Immunotherapy(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
MedlinePlus: Bone Marrow Transplantation
(National Library of Medicine)
Also available in Spanish
Radioimmunotherapy(Radiological Society of North America, American College of
Radiology)
Also available in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma)
(National Cancer
Institute)
Treatment Option Overview (AIDS Related-Lymphoma)
(National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Option Overview (Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma)
(National Cancer
Institute)
Treatment Option Overview (Mycosis Fungoides and the Sezary Syndrome)
(National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Option Overview (Primary CNS Lymphoma)
(National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Options by Stage (Mycosis Fungoides and the Sezary Syndrome)
(National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Options for AIDS-Related Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Options for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer
Institute)
Treatment Options for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Options for Primary CNS Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Options for Recurrent Mycosis Fungoides and the Sezary Syndrome
(National Cancer Institute)
Understanding Side Effects of Drug Therapy(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
When to Treat People with Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia(American Cancer Society)
Prevention/Screening
Can Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Be Prevented?(American Cancer Society)
What Are the Risk Factors for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?(American Cancer Society)
What Are the Risk Factors for Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia?(American Cancer
Society)

Return to top

Alternative Therapy
Integrative Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Therapies As Part of Blood
Cancer Care(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
Return to top

Coping

Relationships and Recovery for Young Adult Lymphoma Survivors(Lymphoma

Research Foundation)
Return to top

Disease Management
Getting the Facts: Cancer-Related Fatigue(Lymphoma Research Foundation) - PDF
Pain Management(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
What Happens After Treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?(American Cancer
Society)
What Happens After Treatment of Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia?(American Cancer
Society)
Return to top

Specific Conditions
Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (HTLV-1)(Lymphoma Research Foundation) - PDF
Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma(Lymphoma Research Foundation) - PDF
Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma(Lymphoma Research Foundation) - PDF
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL)(Lymphoma
Research Foundation) - PDF
Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma in Adults (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
Follicular Lymphoma in Adults (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
General Information about AIDS-Related Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
General Information about Mycosis Fungoides and the Sezary Syndrome
(National
Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
General Information about Primary CNS Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Mantle Cell Lymphoma(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
Marginal Zone Lymphoma(Lymphoma Research Foundation) - PDF
Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma(Lymphoma Research Foundation) - PDF
What Is Waldenstrom Macroglobulinema?(American Cancer Society)
Return to top

Related Issues
Hodgkin's vs. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: What's the Difference?(Mayo Foundation for
Medical Education and Research)
Return to top

Videos

If I Had - A Child with a Rapidly Growing Jaw Mass(Insidermedicine)

If I Had - An Enlarged Painless Lymph Node in My Neck(Insidermedicine)
If I Had - Mediastinal Lymphoma(Insidermedicine)
Return to top

Financial Issues
Financial Matters(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
LRF Financial Assistance Program(Lymphoma Research Foundation)
Return to top

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Lymphoma
(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia
(National Institutes of Health)
Understanding Clinical Trials for Blood Cancers(Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
Return to top

Genetics
Genetics Home Reference: 8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome
(National Library of
Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Mycosis fungoides
(National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Szary syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
Return to top

Research
What's New in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Research and Treatment?(American Cancer
Society)
Return to top

Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Clinical Reasoning: A 47-year-old woman with left shoulder pain after...
Article: Surgery for primary central nervous system lymphoma: is it time...
Article: Precision therapy for lymphoma--current state and future directions.
Lymphoma -- see more articles
Non-hodgkin lymphoma -- see more articles
Return to top

Dictionaries/Glossaries
Learning about Lymphoma: Glossary of Terms(Lymphoma Research Foundation)
Return to top

Directories
Find a Cancer Doctor(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
NCI Designated Cancer Centers
(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Return to top

Organizations
American Cancer Society
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Lymphoma Research Foundation
National Cancer Institute
Also available in Spanish
Return to top

Statistics
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(National Cancer Institute)
What Are the Key Statistics about Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?(American Cancer
Society)
What Are the Key Statistics for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children?(American Cancer
Society)
Return to top

Children

Do We Know What Causes Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children?(American Cancer

Society)

General Information about Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

(National Cancer
Institute)
Also available in Spanish
How Is Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Diagnosed in Children?(American Cancer Society)
Immunotherapy (For Parents)(Nemours Foundation)
Long-Term and Late Effects of Treatment(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
Also available in Spanish
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (For Parents)(Nemours Foundation)
Also available in Spanish
What Are the Risk Factors for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children?(American Cancer
Society)
What's New in Research and Treatment of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children?
(American Cancer Society)
Return to top

Teenagers
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma(Nemours Foundation)
Return to top

Patient Handouts
After chemotherapy - discharge
Also available in Spanish
B-cell leukemia/lymphoma panel
Also available in Spanish
Bone marrow transplant
Also available in Spanish
Bone marrow transplant - discharge
Also available in Spanish
Burkitt lymphoma
Also available in Spanish
Chest radiation - discharge
Also available in Spanish
Lymph node biopsy
Also available in Spanish
Lymphangiogram
Also available in Spanish
Macroglobulinemia of Waldenstrom
Also available in Spanish
Mediastinoscopy with biopsy
Also available in Spanish
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Also available in Spanish
Understanding Chemotherapy
(National Cancer Institute) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
What to Know about Brachytherapy (A Type of Internal Radiation Therapy)
(National Cancer Institute) - PDF
What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy
(National
Cancer Institute) - PDF
Return to top

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
24-hour urine protein
ACE levels
After chemotherapy - discharge
B and T cell screen
B-cell leukemia/lymphoma panel
Bone marrow transplant
Bone marrow transplant - discharge
Bone-marrow transplant - slideshow
Burkitt lymphoma
Chest radiation - discharge
Cryoglobulins
Cytology exam of pleural fluid
Immunofixation - blood
Immunofixation - urine
Lymph node biopsy
Lymphangiogram
Macroglobulinemia of Waldenstrom
Mediastinal tumor
Mediastinoscopy with biopsy
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Quantitative nephelometry
Serum globulin electrophoresis
T-cell count
Related Topics
Hodgkin Disease
Cancers
Immune System
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on Lymphoma is theNational Cancer Institute
Languages
Chinese - Traditional ()

Spanish (espaol)
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
Cancer Strikes Out!/Definitions/ Glossary/ Common Types
Leukemia/Lymphoma: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
This Is an Exciting Time in the Treatment of Lymphoma
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Services National Institutes of Health
Page last updated on 3 November 2014 Topic last reviewed 14 July 2014