Lymphoma is a cancer that develops in the lymph system, which is part of the body’s immune system, and often presents in the form of a solid tumor of cells.
It is estimated that 74,490 men and women were diagnosed with lymphoma in 2009. Lymphoma is a group of cancers that affects the cells that play a role in a person’s lymphatic system, the network of the body that works to fight infection. Lymphoma is a malignant transformation in the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, which when healthy, recognizes and destroys infections. As these abnormal cells multiply, they form a tumor. Often in lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes travel via the lymphatic system to other organs such as the spleen. Lymphoma can be classified into two types: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The two types of lymphoma have similar symptoms and characteristics. However, they can be distinguished under a microscope by which type of white blood cell is abnormally affected. The two types of lymphoma are: