Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma or Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. It's found mainly in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. This type of lymphoma can't be cured. But people can live with it for many years.
Burkitt lymphoma: Considered the most aggressive form of lymphoma, this disease is one of the fastest growing of all cancers.
Follicular lymphoma is usually not considered to be curable, instead categorized as more of a chronic disease. Patients can live for many years with this form of lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most curable forms of cancer. After treatment is complete, your care team will develop a survivorship plan that minimizes long-term side effects of treatment. Those risks include infertility, secondary cancers or toxicities to vital organs such as the heart and lungs.
Lymphoma most often spreads to the liver, bone marrow, or lungs. Stage III-IV lymphomas are common, still very treatable, and often curable, depending on the NHL subtype. Stage III and stage IV are now considered a single category because they have the same treatment and prognosis.
Hodgkin lymphoma is considered one of the most treatable cancers, with more than 90 percent of patients surviving more than five years. Most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma live long and healthy lives following successful treatment.
NHL usually starts in an area of lymph nodes. When it spreads to an organ or tissue outside of the lymph nodes, it is called extranodal spread.
Survival data regarding Hodgkin vs. non-Hodgkin lymphoma depends on each patient's specific situation, but in general, the five-year relative survival rate for Hodgkin lymphoma is higher than that of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. One reason may be that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is often diagnosed when the cancer is more advanced.
Survival for all non-Hodgkin lymphomas
around 80 out of every 100 people (around 80%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed. around 65 out of every 100 people (around 65%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Stage 4. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of lymphoma. Lymphoma that has started in the lymph nodes and spread to at least one body organ outside the lymphatic system (for example, the lungs, liver, bone marrow or solid bones) is advanced lymphoma.
(uh-GREH-siv lim-FOH-muh) A type of lymphoma that grows and spreads quickly and has severe symptoms. Also called high-grade lymphoma and intermediate-grade lymphoma.
The changes can be gradual, but crises can develop. People with NHL most often die from infections, bleeding or organ failure resulting from metastases. A serious infection or sudden bleeding can quickly lead to death, even if someone doesn't appear very ill.
Skin reactions are common. Chemotherapy kills cells that multiply quickly, such as lymphoma cells. It also causes damage to fast-growing normal cells, including hair cells and cells that make up the tissues in your mouth, gut and bone marrow. The side effects of chemotherapy occur as a result of this damage.
Lymphoma affects more than 7300 Australians each year, and is the 6th most common cancer in adult men and women in Australia, but can affect people of all ages including children and babies.
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma
This fast-growing lymphoma accounts for about one third of NHL cases. For this lymphoma, it is typical for lymph nodes to double in size every month, and patients often present within a few months of having noted an enlarged lymph node.
Low-Grade Lymphoma
These grow so slowly that patients can live for many years mostly without symptoms, although some may experience pain from an enlarged lymph gland. After five to 10 years, low-grade disorders begin to progress rapidly to become aggressive or high-grade and produce more severe symptoms.
People may be at higher risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma if they have diseases or conditions that affect the immune system and/or have been treated for those conditions or disease, including: Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and celiac disease.
Doctors aren't sure what causes lymphoma. But it begins when a disease-fighting white blood cell called a lymphocyte develops a genetic mutation. The mutation tells the cell to multiply rapidly, causing many diseased lymphocytes that continue multiplying.
Causes of lymphoma
Exposure to radiation and certain types of chemicals can put some people at higher risk. Benzene and some agricultural chemicals have been implicated; people exposed in the workplace, who can be at highest risk, should follow occupational health guidelines to minimise exposure.
NHL is a disease that usually comes on suddenly and gets worse quickly. Symptoms vary depending on where tumor(s) are. These are the most common locations and their symptoms: Abdomen – pain, swelling, fever, anemia, tiredness, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and irregular periods.
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) may be difficult to diagnosis. You may want to get a second medical opinion by an experienced hematopathologist before you begin treatment.
Indolent lymphomas are the slowest growing of all NHLs. They account for around 40% of all cases of NHL.
With lymphoma, the lymph nodes often grow slowly and may be there for months or years before they're noticed. But sometimes they grow very quickly. Usually, the swollen nodes don't hurt. But some people say their lumps ache or are painful.