Library · Neoplasm
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Make it clearer
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is not a single disease: it is a family name shared by many. All of them are cancers of lymphoid tissue, the tissue of the immune system, and all of them start in lymphocytes, the cells that do the defending. They can come from B or T lymphocytes, either mature ones or their precursors, the immature forms, or from NK lymphocytes.
That family is sorted by prognosis, and two groups emerge: indolent and aggressive.
They behave very differently. Indolent ones can go on for years with nodes that swell and go back down, and swell again. Aggressive ones can cause fever, night sweats and weight loss.
Within the whole family, the most common subtype is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. And for non-Hodgkin lymphoma as a whole, the median age at diagnosis was 68 among diagnoses recorded in the U.S. SEER 21 registries in 2019–2023, including all races and both sexes.
In brief
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a lymphoid neoplasm arising from mature or precursor B or T lymphocytes, or NK lymphocytes.
Not one disease with many faces: a last name shared by many different diseases.
Prognosis separates indolent and aggressive groups.
Indolent types can persist for years with nodes that swell and shrink; aggressive ones can cause fever, night sweats and weight loss.
The most common subtype is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. NHL overall: median diagnosis age 68 (U.S. SEER 21, 2019–2023, all races, both sexes).
Sources (3)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingNon-Hodgkin Lymphoma, StatPearlsPublished
- National Cancer InstituteNon-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment (PDQ) - Patient VersionPublished
- National Cancer Institute, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results ProgramCancer Stat Facts: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated