Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and one of the most rapidly increasing types of cancer in the United States. Since the early 1970s, its incidence has nearly doubled. In 2009, nearly 66,000 people will be diagnosed and more than 19,000 individuals will die from the disease. This year about 574,000 people will be living with the disease.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the white blood cells in the lymphatic system. There are two types of white blood cells that can give rise to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes. Of the more than 30 types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular (low-grade) lymphoma are the two most common. Approximately 85 percent of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases occur in abnormal B-cells.

• Risk Factors and Symptoms

  • Age — the most common types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occur more often in people age 60 and older
  • Gender — the disease occurs equally in men and women
  • Symptoms — swollen, painless lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin, weight loss, fever and excessive night sweats
  • Screening — no screening tests for early detection are available, but a diagnosis can be made from a lymph node biopsy

• Prognosis and Survival

  • With appropriate treatment, about half of people with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a common and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, can survive beyond five years
  • Follicular lymphoma, a common form of low-grade lymphoma that progresses slowly, is not curable
    • Several factors determine risk for follicular lymphoma, which correspond to survival rates, and include age, number of lymph nodes affected, whether the disease has spread beyond the lymph system, overall health and the amount of a specific protein (lactate dehydrogenase) in the blood

  Follicular Lymphoma

  Risk Group	Description	5-Year Survival Rate
  Low risk	0-1	98%
  Intermediate risk	2-3	78%
  High risk	4-5	53%

• Treatment

  • Treatment varies based on type and stage, size of the tumor and overall health; common options include a targeted medicine (monoclonal antibody), chemotherapy, radiation and radioimmunotherapy
  • The goal of treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is to cure the disease; the current treatment goals for follicular lymphoma, an incurable form of the disease, include improving response and duration of response