According to the National Institutes of Health, "lymphoma is cancer of lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow." Lymphoma is divided into two main types: Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's disease. In addition, non-Hodgkin's disease is further classified based on which type of white blood cells become abnormal.
Hodgkin's Disease
Hodgkin's disease is a rare form of lymphoma. The first sign of Hodgkin's disease is an enlarged lymph node. Once the cancer begins in the lymph node, it can spread to other nearby lymph nodes, and then to the lungs, liver or bone marrow. Symptoms of Hodgkin's disease include itchy skin, weight loss, loss of appetite, night sweats, fever and chills and painful swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin, armpits or neck. However, the cause of Hodgkin's disease is not known.
Non-Hodgkin's Disease
The other division of lymphoma is non-Hodgkin's disease, which begins with abnormal white cells: either B-cells or T-cells. The abnormal cells divide, then spread to anywhere in the body; the cause of non-Hodgkin's disease is not known, either. Symptoms of non-Hodgkin's disease include weakness and tiredness, pain, swelling, feeling of fullness in the abdomen, fever, soaking night sweats, coughing, trouble breathing, chest pain, unexplained weight loss and swollen painless lymph nodes in the armpits, neck or groin.
B-Cell Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin's disease is further divided into B-cell lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma. Types of non-Hodgkin's disease lymphoma that are classified as B-cell lymphomas include mantle cell lymphoma, precursor B-lymphoblastic lymphoma, immunoblastic large cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma.
T-Cell Lymphoma
The other division of non-Hodgkin's disease is T-cell lymphoma. Types of non-Hodgkin's disease lymphoma that are classified as T-cell lymphomas include precursor T-lymphoblastic lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma and mycosis fungoides.
