Hodgkin lymphoma - NHS

Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, which is a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body. Skiptomaincontent Home HealthAtoZ Backto HealthAtoZ Overview - Hodgkinlymphoma Contents Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Complications Hodgkinlymphomaisanuncommoncancerthatdevelopsinthelymphaticsystem,whichisanetworkofvesselsandglandsspreadthroughoutyourbody.Thelymphaticsystemispartofyourimmunesystem.Clearfluidcalledlymphflowsthroughthelymphaticvesselsandcontainsinfection-fightingwhitebloodcells,knownaslymphocytes.InHodgkinlymphoma,B-lymphocytes(aparticulartypeoflymphocyte)starttomultiplyinanabnormalwayandbegintocollectincertainpartsofthelymphaticsystem,suchasthelymphnodes(glands).Theaffectedlymphocyteslosetheirinfection-fightingproperties,makingyoumorevulnerabletoinfection.ThemostcommonsymptomofHodgkinlymphomaisapainlessswellinginalymphnode,usuallyintheneck,armpitorgroin.ReadmoreaboutthesymptomsofHodgkinlymphoma. Who'saffected? Hodgkinlymphoma candevelopatanyage,butitmostlyaffectspeoplebetween20and40yearsofageandthoseover75.Slightlymorementhanwomenareaffected.Around2,100peoplearediagnosedwithHodgkinlymphomaintheUKeachyear. CausesofHodgkinlymphoma TheexactcauseofHodgkinlymphomaisunknown.However,yourriskofdevelopingtheconditionisincreasedif:you haveamedicalconditionthatweakensyourimmunesystemyoutakeimmunosuppressantmedicineyou'vepreviouslybeenexposedto acommonviruscalledtheEpstein-Barrvirus,whichcausesglandularfeverYoualsohaveanincreasedriskofdevelopingHodgkinlymphomaifafirst-degreerelative(parent,siblingorchild)hashadthecondition.ReadmoreaboutthecausesofHodgkinlymphoma. HowHodgkinlymphomaisdiagnosed TheonlywaytoconfirmadiagnosisofHodgkinlymphomaisbycarryingoutabiopsy.Thisisaminorsurgicalprocedurewhere asampleofaffectedlymphnodetissueisremovedandstudiedinalaboratory.ReadmoreaboutdiagnosingHodgkinlymphoma. Treatmentandoutlook Hodgkinlymphomaisarelativelyaggressivecancerandcanquicklyspreadthroughthebody.Despitethis,it'salsooneofthemosteasilytreatedtypesofcancer.Yourrecommendedtreatmentplanwilldependonyourgeneralhealthandage,becausemanyofthetreatmentscanputatremendousstrainonthebody. Howfarthecancerhasspreadisalsoanimportantfactorindeterminingthebesttreatment.Themaintreatmentsusedare chemotherapy,followedbyradiotherapyorchemotherapyalone.Surgeryisn'tgenerallyusedasatreatmentforthecondition.Overall, around8outof10peoplewithHodgkinlymphomaliveatleast5yearsandmostofthesewillbecured.However,there'sariskoflong-termproblemsaftertreatment,includinginfertilityandanincreasedriskofdevelopinganothertypeofcancerinthefuture.Readmoreabout:treatmentforHodgkinlymphomacomplicationsofHodgkinlymphoma Pagelastreviewed:22November2021 Nextreviewdue:22November2024 Next : Symptoms