Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
In 2017 in Northern Ireland, 344 people were newly diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. There are many different types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Some grow very slowly and may not need treatment for months or years. Other types grow quickly and need treatment soon after diagnosis. The various types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are divided into high-grade (fast growing) and low-grade (slow growing). Overall, most cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are considered very treatable.
Signs and symptoms
The most common symptom of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one or more painless swellings in the:
- neck;
- armpit;
- groin.
Each swelling is an enlarged lymph node. Other general symptoms include:
- heavy sweating at night;
- temperatures that come and go with no obvious cause;
- losing a lot of weight (more than one tenth of your total weight);
- some people may also have unexplained itching.
If you have a swollen lymph node that does not go away after 6 weeks, you should see your doctor.
Resources
There are a number of websites that provide information relating to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, these include:
This is not an exhaustive list and other sources of support in Northern Ireland can also be accessed via Northern Ireland Cancer Network and Useful links | Be Cancer Aware.