Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms

Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms

The most common symptom is enlargement of one or more lymph nodes, causing a lump or bump under the skin which is usually not painful.

Other symptoms can include:

fever that doesn’t go away
drenching night sweats that often require changing bed sheets or night clothes
unexplained weight loss.
Severe and constant itching can be another symptom of Hodgkin disease.

However, very early in the disease, many people with Hodgkin disease may not have any symptoms.

Source: American Cancer Society - Can Hodgkin disease be found early?

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms

NHL may cause many different signs and symptoms, depending on where it is in the body. Sometimes it doesn't cause any symptoms until it has grown quite large.

Swollen lymph nodes
A lump under the skin, especially on the sides of the neck, in the groin, in the underarm areas, or above the collar bone, could be a swollen lymph node. Usually, swollen lymph nodes are caused by infections, but they can be a sign of lymphoma.

Lymphoma in the belly (abdomen):
Lymphomas here may cause the abdomen to become swollen and tender. Lymphomas of the stomach often cause pain in the stomach, nausea, and reduced appetite

Lymphoma in the chest:
If the disease starts in the thymus (a small organ behind the breast bone) or lymph nodes in the chest, pressure on the windpipe (trachea) can cause coughing, shortness of breath, or pain.

Lymphoma of the brain:
Lymphomas of the brain cause headache, trouble thinking, and weakness in certain parts of the body, personality changes, and sometimes seizures.

Lymphomas of the skin:
Lymphomas of the skin may be seen or felt. They often start as very itchy, red to purple lumps under the skin.

General Symptoms:

Weight loss without a known reason
Fever
Heavy night sweating (enough to soak clothes and sheets)

B symptoms sometimes mean the cancer is faster growing.

Other symptoms can be caused by low blood counts. Blood counts can become low when lymphoma spreads to the bone marrow and crowds out the normal, healthy cells that make new blood cells. Lymphoma can also cause the body to destroy blood cells. Low blood counts can lead to problems like:

Severe or frequent infections (from low white blood cell counts)
Easy bruising or bleeding (from low blood platelet counts)
Fatigue (from low red blood cell counts or anemia)

Source: American Cancer Society - How is non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed?

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