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Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at a glance

There are two main groups of lymphomas, Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas make up over four in five lymphomas.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the seventh most common cancer in men, and the sixth most common cancer in women in the UK. Each year, there are over 5,200 new cases in men, and over 4,700 cases in women.

Lymphomas are cancers that develop from cells of the lymphatic system. This system helps to protect the body against infections and foreign material. Lymphomas are often first noticed in in the lymph nodes or spleen.

If the cancer is not treated, cancer cells may spread to other parts of the lymphatic system. If the cancer cells get into the blood stream, they can spread to almost any organ in the body including the stomach, small bowel, bones and brain.

Click on the links below to find out more about non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

• Risks and causes
• Signs and symptoms
• Detection
• Treatment

If you are a patient looking for information on Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, please visit our patient information website, Cancerhelp UK.

Risks and causes

The following things affect a person's chances of developing Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma:

More than 9 in 10 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occur in adults. The risk increases with age. People who are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are usually over 50.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common in men than in women.

Receiving radiotherapy treatment for other cancers slightly increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma later in life. Certain chemotherapy drugs can also increase the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 10-15 years after initial treatment.

People with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or who are taking immune system suppressing drugs after an organ transplant, have a slightly increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Some autoimmune diseases can also increase the risk.

Additionally, some bacterial or viral infections may also slightly increase the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as they can reduce immunity. Infections with human T-cell lymphoma virus 1 (HTLV1), Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and Helicobacter pylori have been linked with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

You can find out more about what 'cancer risk' means in the 'Understanding 'risk'' section of this website.

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Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can include:

• a painless swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin
• fever or sweating, especially at night
• weight loss and tiredness.

These symptoms may well be due to other causes. However, people who notice any symptoms should see their doctor.

Detection

The doctor will initially carry out an examination and ask questions about any previous medical problems.

Unless there is a strong reason to suspect cancer rather than an infection, the doctor may first prescribe antibiotics.

However, if lymph nodes remain swollen, or continue to grow following this treatment, other tests will be required to help diagnose the cancer.

• Blood tests
• Chest x-ray
• Lymph node biopsy
• Scans
• Bone marrow test

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Treatment

The stage, grade and the type of lymphoma will influence the treatments doctors will offer. The main treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are:

In cases where the disease is at an early stage, does not cause symptoms or discomfort, and does not require aggressive treatment, doctors may suggest 'watch and wait'.

This means monitoring the situation closely, and delaying treatment until the cancer shows signs of progressing further. This does not affect the outcome of treatment later on. This approach is used for low-grade lymphomas.

Doctors may use radiotherapy on its own to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, it is more common for doctors to use it in addition to chemotherapy treatments. They may also use it to ease symptoms that may occur when non-Hodgkin's lymphoma involves internal organs.

Doctors may use a single chemotherapy drug or a combination to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with or without radiotherapy.

Steroids can be used along with chemotherapy drugs to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Find out more about these treatments on CancerHelp UK

Find out more about this treatments on CancerHelp UK

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