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What Are the Symptoms of Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a variety of cancer that affects the immune system and its cells, which are known as lymphocytes. Lymphoma is a blanket term that refers to many separate cancers that involve the lymphocytes. Most of the cancers directly involve the body's lymphatic system and its lymphocytes. There are approximately 35 different cancers that fall under the "lymphoma" category. The following symptoms are generally associated with lymphoma.

  1. Painless Swelling

    • One of the most common initial symptoms of lymphoma is swelling. The swelling is generally painless, and is usually located in the groin, under an arm or in the neck.

    Lymph Nodes

    • Swelling can also occur in the lymph nodes or other body tissues. The spleen often becomes larger. The swelling may also cause other symptoms. For example, an expanded lymph node can brush against a lymphatic vessel or vein, which would result in the leg or the arm's becoming swollen. A lymph node can also brush up against a nerve, causing tingling, numbness or aching. Brushing against the stomach might cause the feeling of being prematurely full. If the spleen becomes larger, it can manifest itself as a stomachache.

    Common Symptoms

    • People might associate other common symptoms of lymphoma with other illnesses. They include unexplained, rapid loss of weight, chills, fevers, night sweats, feeling lethargic, not having a lot of energy and itchiness.

    Breathlessness

    • In certain instances, lymphoma in the neck or chest can expand greatly and become very large, sometimes resulting in a blockage of the flow of vessels that causes the face to swell and a feeling of constant breathlessness. This is another major warning symptom of lymphoma.

    Time Frame

    • Many signs of lymphoma are not specific and could be due to other sicknesses, such as the stomach flu or common cold. However, with these minor ailments, the symptoms usually do not linger and go away quickly. If the ailments stay around for a while, the likelihood of lymphoma is higher.

    Rashes

    • Skin conditions also can be a sign of lymphoma. People who experience excessive rashes, intense itchiness and lesions often have lymphoma, especially the type of lymphoma known as cutaneous lymphoma, an indolent T-cell lymphoma that generally begins within the skin.

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