Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a form of cancer that affects the immune system - specifically, it is a cancer of immune cells called lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. There are two broad types of lymphoma and many subtypes.The two types of lymphoma are described as: Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's.Lymphoma can occur at any age but is the most common cancer in young people. It is often very treatable, and most people live for a long time after being diagnosed.Use this page for comprehensive and easy-to-follow information about lymphoma - both non-Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The symptoms typically involve painless swelling of the lymph nodes (glands), often in the neck or armpits where these nodes are concentrated. Swelling may also occur in the groin and abdomen, although some people do not experience any detectable swelling in any part of the body.You may be familiar with this sign because the lymph nodes in the neck (commonly referred to as "glands") can become swollen during infections such as the cold - but here the swelling subsides, whereas it does not in cancer

Treatment is usually effective and leads to a period of remission, where the patient is free from the disease Indolent (low-grade) lymphoma may relapse though, requiring further treatment. In some cases, an indolent lymphoma can become aggressive, which necessitates more aggressive treatment Typically people with indolent lymphoma live for a long time and have a good quality of life Some people may not require any treatment In contrast, patients diagnosed with a high-grade or intermediate lymphoma will typically require immediate and intensive treatment to help slow down tumor growth and, eventually, to shrink the tumor Where indolent lymphoma turns into aggressive lymphoma this can be especially difficult as the tumors may be widespread, whereas an aggressive lymphoma may be caught earlier and still be somewhat localized.

The overall five-year relative survival rate for leukemia has more than quadrupled since 1960. From 1960 to 1963, the five-year relative survival rate among whites (only data available) with leukemia was 14 percent. From 1975 to 1977, the five-year relative survival rate for the total population with leukemiawas 34.2 percent, and from 2004 to 2010, the overall relative survival rate was 60.3 percent.From 2004-2010, the five-year relative survival rates overall were CML - 59.9 percent CLL - 83.5 percent AML - 25.4 percent overall and 66.3 percent for children and adolescents younger than 15 years ALL - 70 percent overall, 91.8 percent for children and adolescents younger than 15 years, and 93 percent for children younger than 5 years.