Yes, most people survive lymphoma, with overall 5-year survival rates significantly improved due to better treatments, especially for younger individuals, though outcomes vary greatly by lymphoma type (Hodgkin vs. Non-Hodgkin), stage, and age, with some forms highly curable and others needing long-term management.
around 90 out of 100 (around 90%) will survive their lymphoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Lymphoma's exact cause is often unknown, but it develops from genetic damage to lymphocytes (white blood cells), leading to uncontrolled growth, with risk factors including a weakened immune system (from diseases or medications), certain viral/bacterial infections (like Epstein-Barr, HIV, H. pylori), family history, exposure to specific chemicals (benzene, pesticides), radiation, and lifestyle factors like smoking, notes Cancer Council.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is usually treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, although some people may not need treatment straight away. In a few cases, if the initial cancer is very small and can be removed during a biopsy, no further treatment may be needed.
An enlarged spleen might press on the stomach, which can cause a loss of appetite and feeling full after only a small meal. Lymphomas in the stomach or intestines can cause abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.
Having lymphoma can weaken your immune system. Usually, white blood cells fight infections. If you have lymphoma, the lymphoma cells (cancerous white blood cells) are produced instead of the healthy white blood cells. This can make you develop infections more easily.
While stress can impact overall health, there is no direct evidence linking stress alone to the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The disease's causes are multifactorial, involving genetic, environmental, and immune system factors.
Is lymphoma a serious cancer? That depends on the type of lymphoma. For example, non-Hodgkin lymphoma may make your body more vulnerable to life-threatening infections, other kinds of cancer or heart disease. Data show about 3 in 100,000 people worldwide die of some type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Other treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted drugs or radiotherapy usually work well for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This means surgery is not a common treatment. You might have surgery to remove a lymph node to test for lymphoma.
Chemo is hard on other cells in your body that divide quickly. This includes blood cells and cells in the lining of your mouth and stomach. It also includes your hair, skin, and nail cells. Damage to these healthy cells causes side effects, such as low blood counts, mouth sores, upset stomach (nausea), and hair loss.
Whether because of an immune disease or immune suppressive drugs, lymphoma is more common in people with an impaired immune system. Certain infections can be connected with higher rates of lymphoma. These infections include Epstein-Barr virus infections and helicobacter pylori infections.
Some research has suggested that people who are obese (overweight) may have an increased risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma. But most people do not develop Hodgkin lymphoma because they are overweight. It's important to keep a healthy weight as this can lower the risk of many health conditions.
Lymphomas are perhaps the cancer type that is most closely associated with oncogenic viruses: infection with EBV, human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus 8, and hepatitis C virus have all been associated with lymphomagenesis.
NHL most often affects adults, but children can get it too. See Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children. NHL usually starts in lymph nodes or other lymph tissue, but it can sometimes affect the skin.
At the present time, maintenance therapy involves further Rituximab treatments – usually a dose every 2 months for 2 years. Rituximab maintenance therapy has been shown to keep lymphoma under control and postpone its reappearance, but not affect overall survival.
The incidence mortality rate for all causes is 2 per every 100 patients per year. The OS of our cohort at 10 years from diagnosis was 76% (95% CI: 72–79) and 52% at 30 years (95% CI: 48–57).
Surgery is not a common treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This is mainly because the cancerous cells are usually not confined to one part of the body, and also because whole-body (systemic) treatments often have high success rates.
A lymph node biopsy is a safe procedure but your doctor or nurse will tell you who to contact if you have any problems afterwards. As with any medical procedure, there are possible side effects or complications.
Chemotherapy is a standard of care for many forms of lymphoma, but most patients will experience multiple relapses. Chemotherapy is a broad spectrum treatment that stops cell growth and division throughout the body, which can lead to side effects.
These may be subtle and are often the first indications of lymphoma:
For stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the chance of surviving at least five years is 87%. As the cancer spreads, the chances get lower. For stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the chance of surviving at least five years is about 63%. Keep in mind that survival statistics take five years to collect.
Hodgkin Lymphoma Risk Factors
These suggestions may help improve sleep quality:
Unfortunately, there is no known way to prevent lymphoma, but a healthy diet and exercise are important. They can help people with lymphoma better cope with cancer treatments and have better outcomes, Dr. Ansell says.
Having a family history of lymphoma does seem to increase your risk of lymphoma. Still, most people with lymphoma don't have a strong family history of it. Gene changes related to NHL are usually acquired (picked up) during life, rather than being inherited.