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Learn MoreHodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system.
It consists of organs and tissues, including:
These tissues produce, store, and carry white blood cells called lymphocytes. They fight infection and disease.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. The lymphatic system is made up of organs and tissues, including the lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, tonsils, bone marrow, spleen and thymus. These tissues produce, store, or carry white blood cells called lymphocytes that fight infection and disease.
There are two types of lymphoma: Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin.
The main difference is the type of lymphocyte involved. The lymphoma is Hodgkin lymphoma if testing on the biopsy tissue show certain tumor markers along with larger atypical cells called the Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg cell. Reed-Sternberg cells are distinctive because they have two nuclei. Some say these cells have the appearance of “owl eyes.”
The lymphatic system is made up of organs and tissues, including the lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, tonsils, bone marrow, spleen and thymus.
Reed-Sternberg cells are distinctive because they have two nuclei, which some say have the appearance of “owl eyes.” The presence of Reed-Sternberg cell classifies the lymphoma as Hodgkin lymphoma.
Within Hodgkin lymphoma, there are two major subtypes: classical and nodular lymphocyte predominant.
Knowing the specific type of Hodgkin lymphoma is very important to help doctors prescribe the best type of treatment. All kinds of classical Hodgkin lymphomas are treated the same. Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma has different markers. It is more slow-growing. It allows for a different treatment approach.
Some 6,000-7,000 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma are diagnosed each year in the United States.
Causes and risk factors include:
The most common symptom is painless, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, chest, armpit, or groin area.
Other common symptoms include:
A biopsy of lymph node tissue is required to make a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma.
A surgeon will perform a biopsy to remove tissue from an enlarged lymph node. Pathologists examine the tissue under a microscope and provide a diagnosis.
The type of biopsy depends on the location of the suspected cancer:
If Hodgkin lymphoma involves lymph nodes deep in the chest, a biopsy may involve a mediastinoscope. It is a thin, tube-like instrument used to examine and remove tissue and lymph nodes in the area between the lungs. Doctors will use this method if there are no other lymph nodes that are easier to sample.
The pathologist will examine the tissue to look for cancer cells. Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg cells indicate classical Hodgkin lymphoma.
If abnormal cells are present, the pathologist will perform more testing on the tissue sample to look for specific markers present on the atypical cancer cells. This process can take a few days.
Doctors will conduct more tests to determine the stage of the disease. The stage indicates where the cancer is located in the body.
The meaning of the stage in Hodgkin lymphoma is a little different because lymph nodes throughout the body are connected. Cancer may appear in several or many places, but it does not make it harder to treat or more risky like in other types of cancer. Staging in Hodgkin lymphoma depends on:
| Stage | Where Cancer is Found |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | In 1 or more lymph nodes in one lymph node group |
| Stage 2 | In 2 or more lymph node groups only on one side of the diaphragm. Either above OR below. |
| Stage 3 | In lymph node groups above AND below the diaphragm |
| Stage 4 | In areas of the body that are not part of the lymph node system, such as the liver, lungs, or bone marrow. The cancer has spread to these areas from more distant places in the body. |
A or B designations are also used in addition to the stage for every patient.
A means you have no “B” symptoms.
B is added if a patient has the presence of at least one of the following symptoms:
E is used when the cancer is found outside the lymph system in one organ or area.
Imaging tests for staging at the time of initial diagnosis may include:
A bone marrow aspiration and biopsy may be performed to see if cancer is located in the bone marrow. Sometimes imaging alone can provide this information and the procedure is not needed.
Risk groups are determined at diagnosis and are used to plan treatment. Doctors determine risk groups based on the signs, symptoms, and stage of the cancer. All risk groups have the same outcomes if they receive the appropriate treatment based on risk grouping. This is why it is so important to accurately identify the risk group through correct staging.
Risk groups:
A PET (positron emission tomography) scan is a test that shows how organs and tissues function inside the body.
When the PET machine is turned on, the patient will see the red laser lights of the scan but won’t feel them.
Doctors usually try to start treatment between 2 weeks-1 month from diagnosis. This allows time for diagnostic test results to determine the best approach. Hodgkin lymphoma is a slow-growing cancer.
Hodgkin lymphoma patients generally begin with 2 cycles of chemotherapy.
Then patients have imaging tests, usually a PET scan and a CT scan or MRI scan, to see how the cancer has responded to therapy. Treatment response determines if the patient also needs radiation treatment as part of their cure.
Chemotherapy, or “chemo,” is the treatment of cancer using powerful medicines.
Radiation therapy uses beams of radiation, either X-rays or protons, to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells.
Low-risk patients generally do not receive additional chemotherapy. They may need radiation treatment. Radiation generally takes about 3 weeks.
Year 1-2
The patient may return for follow-up visits once every 3-4 months for the first 2 years.
These visits may include:
Years 3-4
Follow-up visits may change to once every 6 months.
Year 5
Follow-up visits may change to once a year.
The survival rate for Hodgkin lymphoma in the U.S. is more than 95 percent.
Cancer treatments may have long-term and late effects.
Long-term effects start during treatment and continue after treatment ends.
Late effects don’t start until later in life.
Long-term and late effects depend on what medicines were used, amount and location of radiation treatment, and age of the patient.
Research continues to develop treatments that reduce the long-term and late effects in cancer survivors.
Research also focuses on developing more effective treatments for rare cases when children’s cancer doesn’t respond to the original therapy or returns after treatment.
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Reviewed: September 2019
