What Is Hodgkin Lymphoma? - American Cancer Society

Hodgkin lymphoma most often spreads through the lymph vessels from lymph node to lymph node. Rarely, late in the disease, it can invade the ... Search Verenespañol | Downloadthistopic[PDF] AboutHodgkinLymphoma WhatIsHodgkinLymphoma? KeyStatisticsforHodgkinLymphoma What’sNewinHodgkinLymphomaResearchandTreatment? Home CancerA-Z HodgkinLymphoma AboutHodgkinLymphoma WhatIsHodgkinLymphoma? Cancerstartswhencellsstarttogrowoutofcontrol.Cellsinnearlyanypartofthebodycanbecomecancer,andcanthenspreadtootherpartsofthebody.Tolearnmoreabouthowcancersstartandspread,seeWhatIsCancer? Lymphomasarecancersthatstartinwhitebloodcellscalledlymphocytes.Thereare2maintypesoflymphoma: Hodgkinlymphoma(HL) Non-Hodgkinlymphoma(NHL) HLandNHLcomefromdifferenttypesofcells. Theybehave,spread,andrespondtotreatmentdifferently,soit'simportantforyoutoknowwhichoneyouhave. ThisinformationisaboutHodgkinlymphoma.Tolearnabouttheothertype,seeNon-HodgkinLymphoma. Thelymphsystem TounderstandwhatHodgkinlymphomais,ithelpstoknowaboutthelymphsystem(alsoknownasthelymphaticsystem).Thelymphsystemispartoftheimmunesystem,whichhelpsfightinfectionsandsomeotherdiseases.Thelymphsystemalsohelpscontroltheflowoffluidsinthebody. Thelymphsystemismadeupmainlyofcellscalledlymphocytes,atypeofwhitebloodcell.Thereare2maintypesoflymphocytes: Blymphocytes(Bcells):Bcellsmakeproteinscalledantibodiestohelpprotectthebodyfromgerms(bacteriaandviruses). Tlymphocytes(Tcells):TherearemanytypesofTcells.SomeTcellsdestroygermsorabnormalcellsinthebody.OtherTcellshelpboostorslowtheactivityofotherimmunesystemcells. HodgkinlymphomausuallystartsinBlymphocytes. StartandspreadofHodgkinlymphoma Lymphtissueisinmanypartsofyourbody,soHodgkinlymphomacanstartalmostanywhere.  Themajorsitesoflymphoidtissueare: Lymphnodes:Lymphnodesarebean-sizedcollectionsoflymphocytesandotherimmunesystemcells.They'refoundthroughoutthebody,includinginsidethechest,abdomen(belly),andpelvis.They'reconnectedtoeachotherbyasystemoflymphaticvessels. Lymphvessels:Anetworkoftinytubes(alotlikebloodvessels)thatconnectlymphnodesandcarryimmunecellsinaclearfluidcalledlymph.Lymphiscollectedfromaroundthebodyandputintothebloodstream. Spleen:Thespleenisanorganthat'sunderthelowerribsonyourleftside.Thespleenispartofyourimmunesystem.Itmakeslymphocytesandotherimmunesystemcells.Italsostoreshealthybloodcellsandfiltersoutdamagedbloodcells,bacteria,andcellwaste. Bonemarrow:Thebonemarrowistheliquid,spongytissueinsidecertainbones.Newbloodcells(includingsomelymphocytes)aremadethere. Thymus:Thethymusisasmallorganbehindtheupperpartofthebreastboneandinfrontoftheheart.It'simportantforTlymphocytedevelopment. Adenoidsandtonsils:Thesearecollectionsoflymphtissueinthebackofyourthroat.Theyhelpmakeantibodiesagainstgermsthatarebreathedinorswallowed. Digestivetract:Thestomach,intestines,andmanyotherorgansalsohavelymphtissue. AlthoughHodgkinlymphomacanstartalmostanywhere,mostoftenitstartsinlymphnodesintheupperpartofthebody.Themostcommonsitesareinthechest,neck,orunderthearms.  Hodgkinlymphomamostoftenspreadsthroughthelymphvesselsfromlymphnodetolymphnode.Rarely,lateinthedisease,itcaninvadethebloodstreamandspreadtootherpartsofthebody,suchastheliver,lungs,and/orbonemarrow. TypesofHodgkinlymphoma DifferenttypesofHodgkinlymphomacangrowandspreaddifferentlyandmaybetreateddifferently.  ClassicHodgkinlymphoma ClassicHodgkinlymphoma(cHL)accountsformorethan9 in10casesofHodgkinlymphomaindevelopedcountries. ThecancercellsincHLarecalledReed-Sternbergcells.ThesecellsareusuallyanabnormaltypeofBlymphocyte.EnlargedlymphnodesinpeoplewithcHLusuallyhaveasmallnumberofReed-Sternbergcellswithalotofnormalimmunecellsaroundthem.Theseotherimmunecellscausemostoftheswellinginthelymphnodes. ClassicHLhas4subtypes: NodularsclerosisHodgkinlymphomaorNSCHL:ThisisthemostcommontypeofHodgkindiseaseindevelopedcountries. Itaccountsforabout7outof10cases.It'smostcommoninteensandyoungadults, butitcanoccurinpeopleofanyage.Ittendstostartinlymphnodesintheneckorchest. MixedcellularityHodgkinlymphomaorMCCHL:Thisisthesecondmostcommontype,foundinabout4out10 cases.It'sseenmostly inpeoplewithHIVinfection.It'salsofoundinchildrenortheelderly .Itcanstartinanylymphnodebutmostoftenoccursintheupperhalfofthebody. Lymphocyte-richHodgkinlymphoma:Thissub-typeisn'tcommon.Itusuallyoccursintheupperhalfofthebodyandisrarelyfoundinmorethanafewlymphnodes. Lymphocyte-depletedHodgkinlymphoma:ThisisarareformofHodgkindisease.It'sseenmainlyinolderpeopleandthosewithHIVinfection.It'smoreaggressivethanothertypesofHLandlikelytobeadvancedwhenfirstfound.It'smostofteninlymphnodesintheabdomen(belly)aswellasinthespleen,liver,andbonemarrow. Nodularlymphocyte-predominantHodgkinlymphoma Nodularlymphocyte-predominantHodgkinlymphoma(NLPHL)accountsforabout5%ofcases.ThecancercellsinNLPHLarelargecellscalledpopcorncells(becausetheylooklikepopcorn),whicharevariantsofReed-Sternbergcells.Youmayalsohearthesecellscalledlymphocyticandhistiocytic(L&H)cells. NLPHLusuallystartsinlymphnodesintheneckandunderthearm.Itcanoccurinpeopleofanyage,andismorecommoninmenthaninwomen. ThistypeofHLtendstogrowmoreslowly andistreateddifferentlyfromtheclassictypes.  Writtenby References TheAmericanCancerSocietymedicalandeditorialcontentteam Ourteamismadeupofdoctorsand oncologycertifiednurseswithdeepknowledgeofcancercareaswellasjournalists,editors,andtranslatorswithextensiveexperienceinmedicalwriting. AnsellSM.HodgkinLymphoma:DiagnosisandTreatment.MayoClinProc.2015;90(11):1574-1583. BartlettNL,FoyilKV.Chapter105:Hodgkinlymphoma.In:NiederhuberJE,ArmitageJO,DorshowJH,KastanMB,TepperJE,eds.Abeloff’sClinicalOncology.5thed.Philadelphia,Pa.Elsevier:2014. NationalComprehensiveCancerNetwork,ClinicalPracticeGuidelinesinOncology(NCCNGuidelines®),HodgkinLymphoma,VersionI.2018--December20,2017.Accessedatwww.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/hodgkins.pdfonMarch14,2018. ShanbhagS,AmbinderRF.Hodgkinlymphoma:Areviewandupdateonrecentprogress.CACancerJClin.2018;68(2):116-132. YounesA,CarboneA,JohnsonP,DabajaB,AnsellS,KuruvillaJ.Chapter102:Hodgkin’slymphoma.In:DeVitaVT,LawrenceTS,RosenbergSA,eds.DeVita,Hellman,andRosenberg’sCancer:PrinciplesandPracticeofOncology.10thed.Philadelphia,Pa:LippincottWilliams&Wilkins;2015. References AnsellSM.HodgkinLymphoma:DiagnosisandTreatment.MayoClinProc.2015;90(11):1574-1583. BartlettNL,FoyilKV.Chapter105:Hodgkinlymphoma.In:NiederhuberJE,ArmitageJO,DorshowJH,KastanMB,TepperJE,eds.Abeloff’sClinicalOncology.5thed.Philadelphia,Pa.Elsevier:2014. NationalComprehensiveCancerNetwork,ClinicalPracticeGuidelinesinOncology(NCCNGuidelines®),HodgkinLymphoma,VersionI.2018--December20,2017.Accessedatwww.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/hodgkins.pdfonMarch14,2018. ShanbhagS,AmbinderRF.Hodgkinlymphoma:Areviewandupdateonrecentprogress.CACancerJClin.2018;68(2):116-132. YounesA,CarboneA,JohnsonP,DabajaB,AnsellS,KuruvillaJ.Chapter102:Hodgkin’slymphoma.In:DeVitaVT,LawrenceTS,RosenbergSA,eds.DeVita,Hellman,andRosenberg’sCancer:PrinciplesandPracticeofOncology.10thed.Philadelphia,Pa:LippincottWilliams&Wilkins;2015. LastRevised:May1,2018 AmericanCancerSocietymedicalinformationiscopyrighted material.Forreprintrequests,pleaseseeourContentUsagePolicy. AboutHodgkinLymphoma WhatIsHodgkinLymphoma? KeyStatisticsforHodgkinLymphoma What’sNewinHodgkinLymphomaResearchandTreatment? MoreInHodgkinLymphoma AboutHodgkinLymphoma Causes,RiskFactors,andPrevention EarlyDetection,Diagnosis,andStaging Treatment AfterTreatment BackToTop Close * Close Imageof Previous Next Close Close SelectAHopeLodge