What is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system, forming from the lymphocytes, affecting the immune system. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that are a part of the immune system and are broken down into two major subgroups: B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. They are plainly referred to as B cells or T cells. Lymphoma occurs when there is a malignant transformation of either the B or T cells, and they grow rapidly and uncontrollably.

Types

There are two main types of lymphoma:

• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)

Hodgkin's lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin's disease, is named after Thomas Hodgkin and is characterized by the presence of an abnormal cell called a Reed-Sternberg cell when examining the cancer cells of lymphoma. Reed-Sternberg cells typically originate from B lymphocytes and are quite large in size when compared to other cells. Hodgkin's lymphoma is less prevalent than NHL, and typically occurs in individuals between the ages of 15 and 40, or anyone who is 55 or older.

NHL is one of the most common forms of cancer among men and women, and can be split into multiple subgroups depending upon the appearance and characterization of the malignant lymphocytes. The main difference in classification that makes lymphoma NHL is the absence of Reed-Sternberg cells. The risk of developing NHL has been found to increase with age.

Signs And Symptoms

The symptoms for both versions of lymphoma are quite similar, and lymphoma can occur in almost any part of the body, with Hodgkin's lymphoma starting from the upper portion of the body in particular