Lymphoma is a general term for cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, the part of your immune system that helps fight disease and infection. Specifically, it is a cancer of immune cells called lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. There are two broad types of lymphoma – Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread beyond the lymphatic system. As the condition progresses, it compromises your body’s ability to fight infection and symptoms appear. Many symptoms may be similar to those of flu, such as fever, fatigue and night sweats. Eventually, tumors develop. Hodgkin’s lymphoma usually affects people between the ages of 15 to 35 and those older than 55.
In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, tumors develop from white blood cells called lymphocytes, often at different locations in your body. Normally, lymphocytes go through a predictable life cycle. Old lymphocytes die and your body creates new ones to replace them. But in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, your body produces abnormal lymphocytes that continue to divide and grow without control. This excess of lymphocytes crowds into your lymph nodes, causing them to swell.
Lymphoma can occur at any age but is the most common cancer in young people.