What is Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma?

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system. That's a scary thought since the lymphatic system is how your body fights illnesses and diseases. It is much more common than Hodgkin's disease, another cancer of the lymphatic system, and it is considered very treatable if diagnosed and treated early, before it spreads to other parts of the body. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2008, 66,120 new cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma were diagnosed, and there were 19,160 deaths from the disease.

Causes

• What causes non-Hodgkins lymphoma is not known, but it may be triggered by an infection or exposure to a chemical or something else in the environment.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of non-Hodgkins lymphoma include fever, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, shortness of breath, itchy skin or red patches on the skin, a chronic cough, and abdominal pain.

Risk Factors

• Men are more likely to develop non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It is also more common in people with compromised immune systems and those who have had certain viral infections, including Epstein Barr.

Chemical Exposure

• Exposure to certain chemicals--including insecticides, pesticides, asbestos and arsenic--increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Treatment

• Treatment of non-Hodgkins lymphoma typically depends on the stage of the disease, the size of the tumor or tumors, how fast it is growing, and the type of lymphoma. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation, a stem cell transplant, drug therapy, interferon therapy, and radioimmunotherapy.