Overview of Lymphoma

By Carol S. Portlock, MD, Weill Cornell University Medical College;Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

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Lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors arising in the reticuloendothelial and lymphatic systems. The major types are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL— Comparison of Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma).

Comparison of Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Feature	Hodgkin Lymphoma	Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Nodal involvement	Localized to a specific group of nodes	Usually disseminated among > 1 nodal group
Spread	Tends to spread in an orderly, contiguous fashion	Spreads noncontiguously
Effect on Waldeyer ring and mesenteric lymph nodes	Usually does not affect	Commonly affects mesenteric nodes May affect Waldeyer ring
Extranodal involvement	Infrequent	Frequent
Stage at diagnosis	Usually early	Usually advanced
Histologic classification in children	Usually one with a favorable prognosis	Usually high grade

Lymphomas were once thought to be absolutely distinct from leukemias. However, better understanding of cell markers and tools with which to evaluate those markers now show that the distinction between these 2 cancers is often vague. The notion that lymphoma is relatively restricted to the lymphatic system and leukemias to the bone marrow, at least in early stages, is also not always true.

Last full review/revision October 2012 by Carol S. Portlock, MD