Understanding Lymphoma
Types of Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in lymphocytes, which are white blood cells that help your body fight infections. Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer in adults and the third most common cancer in children, but it is still considered rare and very complex. One reason it is considered complicated is that lymphoma is not just one disease. There are more than 100 different types of lymphoma, and new types are still being identified.
Each type of lymphoma has a different biology, prognosis, clinical course, and therefore different treatment and monitoring strategies. What is true for one type of lymphoma, may be completely different for another type, making it crucial for patients to fully understand their specific lymphoma diagnosis.
Need to talk to someone?
For answers to lymphoma-related questions and resources, contact our Lymphoma Resource Center.
Categorizing Lymphoma
The only way to know for sure if you or a loved one has lymphoma is for a doctor to run tests, most commonly an excisional biopsy. In this test, a small piece of tissue is removed and sent to a pathologist. The pathologist looks at the sample under a microscope to see if there are lymphoma cells and, if possible, what type they are. A lymphoma pathologist can then help classify the disease, and parts of the biopsy may be used for more tests to confirm the diagnosis and identify the exact subtype. There are three major categories of lymphoma:
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL): CLL/SLL are the same disease (and a type of lymphoma) with slightly different manifestations. Where the cancerous cells gather determines whether it is called CLL or SLL. Leukemic cells develop because of a change that takes place in the cell’s DNA.
- Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL): There are five types of HL, a form of lymphoma that involves the Reed-Sternberg cells.
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL): There are more than 90 types of NHL, some of which are more common than others. Any lymphoma that is not CLL/SLL or that does not involve Reed-Sternberg cells is classified as a non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Each category is further subdivided into numerous types that differ in the type of cell they originated from (B, T, or NK cells), the way they develop and spread, and the way they are treated. Unlike other cancers, lymphoma therapy and prognosis (how well the patient will do) are determined by the lymphoma type, the presence of certain markers in lymphoma cells, and other factors like age and other medical issues, more than by the stage of the disease (how advanced the disease is).
Contact Our Support Team
For answers to lymphoma-related questions and resources, contact us:
Understanding Your Subtype
To learn more about a specific type of lymphoma, select from the following menu:
Understanding your diagnosis and specific lymphoma subtype is crucial to receiving the very best care and ultimately achieving the best outcomes. Knowing your exact subtype allows your healthcare team to tailor treatment plans to your unique needs, improving outcomes and minimizing unnecessary side effects. Additionally, understanding your subtype empowers you as a patient, enabling you to make informed decisions, seek the right support, and access resources that are most relevant to your situation. This personalized approach is essential for navigating the complexities of lymphoma and optimizing your path to recovery.
Coping with Lymphoma
Each person’s experience with cancer is different, and coping with the impact of having lymphoma is unique to each patient.
Lymphoma and the Immune System
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that occurs when lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, begins behaving abnormally.
Treatment Options
Blood cancers, including lymphoma, are extremely heterogeneous and can involve a variety of treatment options, often in combination.