Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
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What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, a network of glands and vessels throughout the body, making up part of your immune system1
- Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell in the lymphatic system that help the body to fight infection2
- The main types of lymphocytes are:
- B cells2
- T cells2
- In non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the lymphocytes multiply abnormally1
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Types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- There are many different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma,2,3 the main types are listed below, according to whether they affect B cells or T cells
- The following lymphomas, listed in order of prevalence, affect the B cells:4
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Follicular lymphoma
- Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic leukaemia
- Mantle cell lymphoma
- Marginal zone B-cell lymphomas
- Burkitt lymphoma
- Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, also known as Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia
- Hairy cell leukaemia
- Primary central nervous system lymphoma
- The following lymphomas affect the T cells:4
- Precursor T-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukaemia
- Peripheral T-cell lymphomas
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Who gets non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can occur at any age, but is more common in people aged 65 years or older5
- It is slightly more common in males than in females5
- It is the 10th most common cancer worldwide6
- Nearly 386,000 new cases were diagnosed worldwide in 20126
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Screening, detection, and diagnosis
- The following tests are used to diagnose non-Hodgkin lymphoma:
- Blood and urine tests7
- Imaging tests such as X-ray, MRI, CT, and PET scan7
- A biopsy taken from a lymph node7
- A bone marrow biopsy7
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Patient guidelines
A patient guideline is a document containing information for patients and their families about their disease and the treatment options available to them
Click here to see the European patient guideline on follicular lymphoma8
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Local support groups
Contacting a support group may help you during diagnosis and treatment and afterwards
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Infographics
Click here for information on the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Europe9
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