Lymph node cancer, commonly called lymphoma, is cancer that occurs in cells of the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are small, jelly bean-sized organs found throughout the body that help the immune system fight infections. Lymph node cancer is usually divided into two types, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Both cancers affect the lymph nodes, but the two conditions differ in how the cancer spreads to other lymph nodes, explains the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors do not fully understand the exact causes of lymph node cancer, although certain risk factors have been identified.
Infections
People infected with certain diseases are at an increased risk for developing lymph node cancer. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, greatly increases the risk of both non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the National Cancer Institute. Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis C virus and the Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 also increase the risk of developing both types of lymph node cancer. A virus that infects the stomach and causes stomach ulcers, Helicobacter pylori, increases the risk of developing cancer in the lymph nodes of the stomach lining. Infectious mononucleosis increases the risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma by a factor of three, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Weak Immune System
People with a depressed immune system are also at an increased risk for developing lymph node cancer, explains the New York State Department of Health. Organ transplants and certain medications are possible causes of a depressed immune system. The increased risk of developing lymph node cancer after infection by HIV/AIDS may be due to the immune-compromising effects of AIDS.
Other Factors
Certain chemicals found in herbicides and pesticides, including phenoxy acid, organophosphate and organochlorine compounds, have been linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, reports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Researchers are also currently investigating a possible link between obesity and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Age
Age is another factor linked to the development of lymph node cancers. Roughly 70 percent of all cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma have been diagnosed in people who are 50 years old or older, the New York State Department of Health reports. The association between Hodgkin lymphoma and age is more complicated, occurring most frequently in the age groups of 15 to 35 and 50 to 70 years old, explains MedlinePlus.
References
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Blood Cancers: Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma
- National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know About Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: Lymphoma
- New York State Department of Health: About Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- MedlinePlus: Hodgkin's Lymphoma
