Hodgkin lymphoma
Type of blood and immune-system cancer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes.[2][8] The condition was named after the English physician Thomas Hodgkin, who first described it in 1832.[9][10] Symptoms may include fever, night sweats, and weight loss.[2] Often, nonpainful enlarged lymph nodes occur in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin.[2] Persons affected may feel tired or be itchy.[2]
Hodgkin lymphoma | |
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Other names | Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease[1] |
Micrograph showing Hodgkin lymphoma (Field stain) | |
Specialty | Hematology and oncology |
Symptoms | Fever, night sweats, weight loss, nonpainful enlarged lymph nodes[2] |
Risk factors | Epstein–Barr virus, family history, HIV/AIDS[2][3] |
Diagnostic method | Lymph node biopsy[2] |
Treatment | Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem-cell transplant,[4] immunotherapy |
Prognosis | Five-year survival rate 88% (US)[5] |
Frequency | 574,000 (affected during 2015)[6] |
Deaths | 23,900 (2015)[7] |
Named after | Thomas Hodgkin |
The two major types of Hodgkin lymphoma are classic Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.[5] About half of cases of Hodgkin lymphoma are due to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and these are generally the classic form.[3][11] Other risk factors include a family history of the condition and having HIV/AIDS.[2][3] Diagnosis is conducted by confirming the presence of cancer and identifying RS cells in lymph node biopsies.[2] The virus-positive cases are classified as a form of the Epstein–Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative diseases.[12]
Hodgkin lymphoma may be treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem-cell transplantation.[4] The choice of treatment often depends on how advanced the cancer has become and whether or not it has favorable features.[4] If the disease is detected early, a cure is often possible.[9] In the United States, 88% of people diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma survive for five years or longer.[5] For those under the age of 20, rates of survival are 97%.[13] Radiation and some chemotherapy drugs, however, increase the risk of other cancers, heart disease, or lung disease over the subsequent decades.[9]
In 2015, about 574,000 people globally had Hodgkin lymphoma, and 23,900 (4.2%) died.[6][7] In the United States, 0.2% of people are affected at some point in their life.[5] Most people are diagnosed with the disease between the ages of 20 and 40.[5]