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Types of Lymphoma in Children

Lymphoma is a serious form of cancer in humans, and it makes up about 5 percent of all diagnosed cancer cases in the United States. While lymphoma isn't as common in children as in adults, it is the third most common form of cancer in children. Some forms of lymphoma are mild, and a person can have that type of cancer and expect to continue living many years. Some forms of lymphoma are more severe and can cause a rapid death.

  1. Origins

    • Lymphoma begins in the lymphocytes, a part of the human body's immune system, and often appears in enlarged lymph nodes. Affected cells in the immune system don't die when they should because of damaged DNA and tend to collect in lumps, like the enlarged lymph nodes. Once these lumps become severe enough, the lymphoma can spread outside the immune system and affect other parts of the body. This condition is called extranodal disease. The most common areas of extranodal activity are the head, neck, chest and abdomen.

    Treatments

    • Patients with lymphoma are usually treated with either chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Both types of treatment used alone are especially effective in the early stages of the disease. For later stages, or for unusually large affected areas, a combination of the two treatments is often used.

    Medical Definitions

    • In order to understand the percentages on the following types of childhood lymphoma, some medical definitions will be helpful. "Incidence rate" is the number of new cases diagnosed in a given population over a given period of time. "Five-year survival rate" is the number of patients out of 100 with the same illness that have no traces of the disease or illness five years after it was first diagnosed.

    Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

    • More than half, 60 percent, of all childhood lymphomas are non-Hodgkins lymphomas.This is generally characterized by painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the collarbone region, neck, groin or armpits. However, in some cases, swollen lymph nodes can lead to chest pain, fatigue, coughing, loss of appetite, weight loss and dry itchy skin. These are often found to have more cancerous tissue, and in a lot of cases the prognosis is grim.

    Burkitt's Lymphoma

    • Burkitt's lymphoma is most common in Africa, and it seems to be connected to the Epstein-Barr virus. Doctors don't yet understand the relationship between the virus and the cancer. Patients develop a large tumor usually in the jaw or abdomen. Chemotherapy is the usual treatment. Incidence rate: 40 percent. Five-year survival rate: 90 percent to 95 percent.

    Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

    • Lymphoblastic lymphoma is more common in children than in adults, and it accounts for about 30 percent of all lymphoma in children. Most patients develop tumors in the upper abdomen. LBL is aggressive and fast moving. In the past it was often fatal, but current survival rates are much higher with modern chemotherapy treatment. The incidence rate is 30 percent, and the five-year survival rate is 85 percent to 90 percent.

    Other Types

    • Anaplastic large cell lymphoma: This type of slow-growing lymphoma can be present in the skin or found throughout the body. A common treatment is a combination of chemotherapy and steroids. The incidence rate is 10 percent and the five-year survival rate is 100 percent.

      Large B-cell lymphoma: The most common early symptom is a large swelling in the neck or groin. The incidence rate is 20 percent, and the five-year survival rate is 80 percent to 90 percent.

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