Yes, lymphoma often makes you feel sick, causing symptoms like persistent fatigue, unexplained fever, drenching night sweats, significant weight loss, swollen lymph nodes (lumps in the neck, armpit, groin), and sometimes itchy skin, chest pain, or shortness of breath, though these symptoms can overlap with other illnesses and warrant a doctor's visit to rule out lymphoma.
Common symptoms of having lymphoma include swelling of lymph nodes in your neck, in your armpits or your groin. This is often but not always painless and often could be associated with fevers, or unexplained weight loss, or drenching night sweats, sometimes chills, persistent fatigue.
Key takeaways: Night sweats, persistent fevers and unexplained weight loss are three of the most common lymphoma symptoms. Symptoms can appear with any type of lymphoma, but they're more commonly seen in advanced, fast-growing blood cancers.
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.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal lymphoma
Lymphomas that start or grow in the abdomen (belly) can cause swelling or pain in the abdomen. This could be from lymph nodes or organs, such as the spleen or liver, getting bigger. It can also be caused by the buildup of large amounts of fluid.
Lymphoma and lymphoma treatment can lead to diarrhoea, constipation and wind (flatulence). Bowel problems can have a significant impact on your day-to-day life, including on your emotional wellbeing.
Lymph tissue is in many parts of your body, so Hodgkin lymphoma can start almost anywhere, but:
Most types of lymphoma can't be diagnosed by a blood test alone. However, most people affected by lymphoma will have blood tests as part of their diagnosis and frequently throughout treatment. You continue to have blood tests, though less frequently, after treatment during follow-up.
Early signs and symptoms of lymphoma
The most common symptom of lymphoma is a painless swelling or lump in the neck, armpit or groin. This is caused by lymphoma cells building up in the lymph nodes, which makes them bigger.
Indolent lymphoma, also known as low-grade lymphoma, is a group of slow-growing non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs). Because they spread slowly, they tend to have fewer signs and symptoms when first diagnosed and may not require immediate treatment.
From the available research, there isn't strong evidence that stress can cause or worsen lymphoma or any type of cancer, or that it can make it come back (relapse).
Weight loss is more common with fast-growing (high-grade) lymphomas. This is because they put a sudden energy demand on your body, as well as reducing your appetite by making you feel unwell. Lymphoma is just one of the possible causes of unexplained weight loss.
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.
Some infections can cause symptoms similar to lymphoma:
Having a high white blood cell count (15,000 or higher). Having a low lymphocyte count (below 600 or less than 8% of the white blood cell count).
Cancer-related fatigue is exhaustion that's at a much higher level than would usually be expected. It can be physical, emotional or mental. You might feel very tired after doing quite little. Fatigue can affect different areas of your life.
In lymphomas, elevated CRP levels reflect increase in inflammatory cytokines, particularly Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are associated with malignant processes. IL6 induces the production of CRP by the liver. In HL patients, this cytokine is produced by the cells of the lymphoma.
Common lymphoma symptoms
Although both diseases can be diagnosed at any age, Hodgkin lymphoma is most common in young adults ages 15 to 40 and older adults over age 55. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is typically diagnosed in adults over age 60. Some viruses may make you more likely to get both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Changes in the immune system
People with weakened immune systems (due to inherited conditions, treatment with certain drugs, organ transplants, or HIV infection) have a much higher chance of developing lymphoma than people without a weakened immune system.
Upset stomach (nausea), vomiting, or stomach pain. Coughing, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing. Chest pain or pressure. Swelling in your head and arms (called superior vena cava syndrome)
An interventional radiology image-guided biopsy may be used to diagnose MALT lymphoma in the salivary glands or lungs. A bronchoscopy can also be used for the lungs. An endoscopy may be used to diagnose gastric MALT lymphoma. After a MALT lymphoma diagnosis is made, doctors will try to determine the cancer stage.
MALT lymphoma most often develops in the stomach and is called gastric MALT lymphoma. Symptoms of gastric MALT lymphoma include: indigestion or heartburn.