Definition
Hodgkin's lymphoma is a malignancy (cancer) of lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow.
Alternative Names
Lymphoma - Hodgkin's; Hodgkin's disease; Cancer - Hodgkin's lymphoma
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The first sign of this cancer is often an enlarged lymph node which appears without a known cause. The disease can spread to nearby lymph nodes and later may spread to the lungs, liver, or bone marrow.
The cause is not known. Hodgkin's lymphoma is most common among people 15 to 35 and 50 to 70 years old.
Symptoms
- Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin (swollen glands)
- Fatigue
- Fever and chills
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Generalized itching
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Signs and tests
The disease may be diagnosed after:
A staging evaluation (tumor staging) may be done to determine the extent of the disease. The following procedures may be done:
In some cases, abdominal surgery to take a piece of the liver and remove the spleen may be needed. However, because the other tests are now so good at detecting the spread of Hodgkin's lymphoma, this surgery is usually unnecessary.
Hodgkin's lymphoma may change the results of the following tests:
Treatment
A staging evaluation is necessary to determine the treatment plan.
- Stage I indicates one lymph node region is involved (for example, the right neck).
- Stage II indicates involvement of 2 lymph nodes on the same side of the diaphragm (for example, both sides of the neck).
- Stage III indicates lymph node involvement on both sides of the diaphragm (for example, groin and armpit).
- Stage IV involves the spread of cancer outside the lymph nodes (for example, to bone marrow, lungs, or liver).
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