Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HOJ-kinz lim-FOH-muh) A cancer of the immune system that is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed Sternberg cell. Symptoms include the painless enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, or other immune tissue. Other symptoms include fever, weight loss, fatigue, or night sweats. Also called Hodgkin’s disease.

Hodgkin’s disease (HOJ-kinz…) A cancer of the immune system that is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed Sternberg cell. Symptoms include the painless enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, or other immune tissue. Other symptoms include fever, weight loss, fatigue, or night sweats. Also called Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Reed-Sternberg cell A type of cell that appears in people with Hodgkin’s disease. The number of these cells increases as the disease advances.

lymph node (limf node) A rounded mass of lymphatic tissue that is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Lymph nodes filter lymph (lymphatic fluid), and they store lymphocytes (white blood cells). They are located along lymphatic vessels. Also called a lymph gland.

lymphoma (lim-FO-ma) Cancer that begins in cells of the immune system. There are two basic categories of lymphomas. One kind is Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. The other category is non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, which includes a large, diverse group of cancers of immune system cells. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas can be further divided into cancers that have an indolent (slow-growing) course and those that have an aggressive (fast-growing) course. These subtypes behave and respond to treatment differently. Both Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas can occur in children and adults, and prognosis and treatment depend on the stage and the type of cancer.

stage I adult Hodgkin’s lymphoma Stage I is divided into stage I and stage IE. In stage I, cancer is found in a single group of lymph nodes. In stage IE, cancer is found in one area or organ other than the lymph nodes.

stage II adult Hodgkin’s lymphoma Stage II is divided into stage II and stage IIE. In stage II, cancer is found in two or more lymph node groups on the same side of the diaphragm (the thin muscle below the lungs that helps breathing and separates the chest from the abdomen). In stage IIE, cancer is found in one area or organ other than the lymph nodes and in the lymph nodes near that area or organ, and may have spread to other lymph node groups on the same side of the diaphragm.

stage III adult Hodgkin’s lymphoma Stage III is divided into stage III, stage IIIE, stage IIIS, and stage IIIS+E. In stage III, cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm (the thin muscle below the lungs that helps breathing and separates the chest from the abdomen). In stage IIIE, cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm and in a nearby area or organ other than the lymph nodes. In stage IIIS, cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm and in the spleen. In stage IIIE+S, cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm, in a nearby area or organ, and in the spleen. Stage III is also divided into stage III(1) and stage III(2). In stage III(1), cancer is limited to the upper abdomen above the renal vein. In stage III(2), cancer is found in lymph nodes in the pelvis and/or near the heart.

stage IV adult Hodgkin’s lymphoma The cancer is found in at least one organ other than the lymph nodes and may be in the lymph nodes near the organ(s); or the cancer is found in one organ other than the lymph nodes and has spread to lymph nodes far away from the organ.

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