Print Overview Parts of the immune system Enlarge image Close Parts of the immune system Parts of the immune system The lymphatic system is part of the body's immune system, which protects against infection and disease. The lymphatic system includes the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and lymph channels, as well as the tonsils and adenoids. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is made up of organs, glands, tubelike vessels and clusters of cells called lymph nodes. It's part of the body's germ-fighting immune system. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma happens when germ-fighting cells in the lymphatic system grow out of control. The cells can form growths, called tumors, throughout the body. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a broad group of lymphomas. There are many subtypes in this group. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma are among the most common subtypes. The other broad group of lymphoma is Hodgkin lymphoma. Advances in diagnosis and treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma have helped improve the prognosis for people with this condition.Products & ServicesA Book: Living Medicine Types Chronic lymphocytic leukemia Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma Follicular lymphoma Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia SymptomsSigns and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma may include: Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin. Belly pain or swelling. Chest pain, coughing or trouble breathing. Feeling very tired. Fever. Night sweats. Weight loss without trying. When to see a doctorMake an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs and symptoms that worry you. Request an appointment There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get Mayo Clinic cancer expertise delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive an in-depth guide to coping with cancer, plus helpful information on how to get a second opinion. You can unsubscribe at any time. Click here for an email preview. Email address I would like to learn more about Up-to-date cancer news & research Mayo Clinic cancer care & management options ErrorSelect a topic ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Address 1 Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest about cancer news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry Causes Lymph node clusters Enlarge image Close Lymph node clusters Lymph node clusters Lymph nodes are bean-sized groups of white blood cells. Hundreds of these nodes cluster all through the lymphatic system. For instance, they're near the knees, groin, neck and armpits. A network of lymphatic vessels connects these nodes. The cause of non-Hodgkin lymphoma often isn't known. This cancer starts when germ-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. DNA gives healthy cells instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate. The instructions tell the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, the DNA changes give other instructions. The DNA changes tell the cancer cells to make more cells quickly. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells. In non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the cancer cells often build up in the lymph nodes. They also can build up in other parts of the lymphatic system. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can affect the: Lymph nodes. Lymph vessels. Adenoids. Tonsils. Spleen. Thymus. Bone marrow. Rarely, parts of the body that aren't part of the lymphatic system. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma typesNon-Hodgkin lymphoma most often begins in the: B cells. B cells are a type of lymphocyte that fights infection. B cells make antibodies against foreign invaders. Most non-Hodgkin lymphoma arises from B cells. Subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that involve B cells include diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and Burkitt's lymphoma. T cells. T cells are a type of lymphocyte that kills foreign invaders directly. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma happens much less often in T cells. Subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that involve T cells include peripheral T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Treatment depends on whether non-Hodgkin lymphoma arises from B cells or T cells. Risk factorsFactors that may raise the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma include: Medicines that lower the immune response. Taking medicines that manage the immune system after an organ transplant might raise the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Infection with certain viruses and bacteria. Certain infections seem to raise the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Viruses linked to this type of cancer include HIV and Epstein-Barr virus. Bacteria linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma include the stomach ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Chemicals. Certain chemicals, such as those used to kill insects and weeds, may raise the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. More research is needed to find the possible link between pesticides and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Older age. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can happen at any age. But it's most common in people 60 or older. There's no way to prevent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. By Mayo Clinic Staff Non-Hodgkin lymphoma care at Mayo Clinic Request an appointment Diagnosis & treatment Dec. 04, 2024 Print Living with non-hodgkin lymphoma? Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Blood Cancers & Disorders support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community. Blood Cancers & Disorders Discussions Does anyone else have MGUS? 838 Replies Wed, Dec 11, 2024 chevron-right Anyone else find the side effects of Hydrea 500MG frightening? 141 Replies Wed, Dec 11, 2024 chevron-right Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP): What helps? 168 Replies Wed, Dec 11, 2024 chevron-right See more discussions Show references B-cell lymphomas. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/guidelinesdetail?category=1&id=1480. Accessed Aug. 30, 2024. T-cell lymphomas. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/guidelinesdetail?category=1&id=1483. Accessed Aug. 30, 2024. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. https://www.lls.org/lymphoma/non-hodgkin-lymphoma. Accessed Sept. 16, 2024. DeVita VT Jr, et al., eds. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In: DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 12th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2023. Accessed Aug. 28, 2024. Distress management. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/guidelinesdetail?category=3&id=1431. Accessed Aug. 29, 2024. Member institutions. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=%2FPublic%2FInstitutions. Accessed Sept. 17, 2024. Member institution lists. NRG Oncology. https://www.nrgoncology.org/About-Us/Membership/Member-Institution-Lists. Accessed Sept. 17, 2024. Bock AM, et al. Bispecific antibodies for non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment. Current Treatment Options in Oncology. 2022; doi:10.1007/s11864-021-00925-1. Tun AM, et al. Immunotherapy in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Innate, adaptive and targeted immunological strategies. Cancer Treatment Reviews. 2020; doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2020.102042. Nowakowski GS, et al. Integrating precision medicine through evaluation of cell of origin treatment planning for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Blood Cancer Journal. 2019; doi:10.1038/s41408-019-0208-6. Laurent C, et al. Impact of expert pathologic review of lymphoma diagnosis: Study of patients from the French Lymphopath Network. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2017; doi:10.1200/JCO.2016.71.2083. Related Associated Procedures Bone marrow biopsy Bone marrow transplant Chemotherapy CT scan MRI Positron emission tomography scan Radiation therapy Urinalysis X-ray Show more associated procedures News from Mayo Clinic Understanding athletes with lymphoma Sept. 08, 2024, 11:00 a.m. CDT All-Star pitcher Liam Hendriks shares how he closed out cancer at Mayo Clinic in Arizona July 21, 2023, 10:08 p.m. CDT Products & Services A Book: Living Medicine Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, have been recognized among the top Cancer hospitals in the nation for 2024-2025 by U.S. News & World Report. 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