Lymphoma

Lymphoma, a cancer of the body’s disease-fighting lymphatic system, comes in many forms. One is Hodgkin’s lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin’s disease. Any other lymphoma is called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma, with a five-year survival rate nationally at close to 90 percent, is considered one of the most curable forms of cancer. Non-Hodgkin’s, meanwhile, has a five-year survival rate of 75 percent, up from 31 percent in the early 1960s.

Today, our hematopathologists rely on extensive molecular studies that target drugs to specific mutations and the Cancer Institute’s access to clinical trials through our membership in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance. It’s a modern approach to a disease first detailed by Thomas Hodgkin in 1832.

What is the Lymphatic System?

The lymphatic system is a first line of defense against bacteria, virus, fungi or other foreign invaders. It includes the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow.

This vital system delivers a clear fluid called lymph, flush with infection-fighting white blood cells, toward the heart.

Types of Lymphoma

Hodgkin's lymphoma: Develops in the lymph system, part of the body's immune system.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: Can start almost anywhere in the body, whether in a single lymph node, a group of lymph nodes or an organ such as the spleen

Diagnosing Lymphoma

• Blood tests
• Bone marrow exam
• Diagnostic imaging tests: CT scan, PET scan and X-ray
• Physical exam
• Biopsy: Surgical lymph node removal (for examination)

Treating Lymphoma

The following treatments may be used alone or in combination:

• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Steroid therapy
• Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant

Cancer Conditions