Quick Facts

Hodgkin Lymphoma

(Hodgkin's Lymphoma; Hodgkin's Disease)

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Last full review/revision Aug 2021| Content last modified Aug 2021

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Lymphatic System: Helping Defend Against Infection

Lymphoma is cancer of a type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte. Lymphocytes and other white blood cells help your body fight disease.

Lymphocytes travel through your blood vessels and then through your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system is made up of lymph nodes and lymph vessels. Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped organs that fight disease and are in your neck, groin, and armpits.

Lymphatic System: Helping Defend Against Infection

In lymphoma, lymphocytes grow out of control. They build up in your lymph nodes and sometimes in your liver, spleen, and inside your bones (bone marrow).

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of lymphoma that involves one particular type of lymphocyte. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas Lymphoma is cancer of a type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte. Lymphocytes and other white blood cells help your body fight disease. Lymphocytes travel through your blood vessels and... read more involves other types of lymphocytes.

Hodgkin lymphoma usually starts in your lymph nodes and makes them get bigger
Doctors treat Hodgkin lymphoma with chemotherapy Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a medicine that destroys cancer cells. Chemotherapy works by shutting down cell growth. But since all cells in the body grow, chemotherapy medicines also destroy some normal... read more and radiation therapy Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses beams of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink cancer tumors. Doctors use radiation to treat many types of cancer, including head, neck... read more
Most people with Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured

Doctors don’t know what causes Hodgkin lymphoma. It isn't something you can catch from other people.

Symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma include:

Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck, armpit, or groin—these are usually painless but may hurt for a few hours after drinking alcohol
Fever
Night sweats
Weight loss
Itching
Feeling weak and tired

Other symptoms may happen depending on where the cancer cells are growing. For example, enlarged lymph nodes in your chest may press on your airways causing you to cough or have difficulty breathing.

Doctors suspect Hodgkin lymphoma when you have a lot of enlarged, painless lymph nodes that don't go away after a few weeks.

To make the diagnosis, doctors do a:

Biopsy (making a small cut to take out an enlarged lymph node to look at under a microscope)

Before doctors treat you for Hodgkin lymphoma, they need to see how far it has spread. Doctors use several tests to check the spread of Hodgkin lymphoma, such as:

Blood tests, including tests of liver and kidney function
Chest x-rays
CT scan Computed Tomography A CT scan uses a large machine shaped like a large donut to take x-rays from many angles. A computer then takes the x-rays and creates many detailed pictures of the inside of your body. Each... read more of your chest, belly area, and pelvis
PET scan Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Positron emission tomography (PET) is a type of radionuclide scanning. A radionuclide is a radioactive form of an element, which means it is an unstable atom that becomes more stable by releasing... read more

Doctors treat Hodgkin lymphoma with:

If Hodgkin lymphoma comes back after treatment, doctors treat it with:

After treatment, doctors continue to watch for problems by doing regular exams and tests such as chest x-rays and CT scans to see if your cancer has come back.

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