What does fact checked mean?
At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
Life Expectancy With Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a form of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system 3. There are many types of lymphoma, but they are usually separated into two main categories: Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 3. Life expectancy in people with lymphoma depends on the type of lymphoma as well as other factors 3.
Read more about the types of Lymphoma cancer.
Onset
Lymphoma develops in the lymphatic system, which is the part of the immune system responsible for protecting the body from viruses, bacteria and other harmful intrusions 3. When immune system cells begin to grow and multiply too rapidly, lymphoma may result 3.
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
What Are the Stages of Sjogren's Syndrome?
Learn More
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is marked by lymphatic system cells that grow too rapidly or in an abnormal fashion 3. They may then spread beyond the lymphatic system, eventually impairing the body’s ability to fight off infection. So far, the causes of this type of lymphoma are unknown 3. However, the development of abnormal B cells--lymph cells that help to fight infection--seems to be a key factor.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is another type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system 3. This type of lymphoma is marked by tumors that grow from white blood cells called lymphocytes 3. According to the Mayo Clinic, people are five times more likely to develop this type of lymphoma than Hodgkin’s disease 13. So far, no one knows what stimulates the lymphocytes into abnormal growth.
Symptoms
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Vs. Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Learn More
At the earliest stages of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, you may not experience any symptoms at all 3. When symptoms do develop, they may include swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpit area and neck; these swellings are not be accompanied by pain. You may also experience fever, fatigue, weight loss and chest pain. Some people may have a cough, difficulty breathing, itchy skin, and pain or swelling in the abdominal area. The symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are the same, but those affected may also experience chills and increased susceptibility to alcoholic beverages with Hodgkin's 3. Some may even feel pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol.
Treatment
Both types of lymphoma may be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, or transplantation of bone marrow or stem cells--all aimed at destroying cancerous cells 3. If you have this type of lymphoma, the treatment method your doctor chooses will likely depend on a number of factors, including your age, symptoms and overall health status.The stage of the disease you’ve reached may also influence treatment decisions 3. Additionally, there are other options for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including observation, which involves watching slow-to-grow lymphomas and treating them only if necessary; biotherapy, using a special antibody to help the immune system kill cancer cells; radioimmunotherapy, combining special antibodies with radioactive substances to destroy cancer cells; and interferon therapy, using genetically engineered proteins to arrest the cancer's growth 3.
Read more about how lymphoma cancer spreads.
Life Expectancy
According to the American Cancer Society, about 85 percent of people in the first two stages of Hodgkin’s lymphoma live for five years after diagnosis, as long as proper treatment is provided 23. According to Lymphoma.org, the five-year survival rate for those with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is 63 percent, and 30 to 60 percent of those with aggressive forms of the disease can be cured 3. However, life expectancy for both types of the disease depends on many different factors, including the overall health of the patient, treatments used and the stage of the disease.
Related Articles
References
- The Mayo Clinic
- American Cancer Society
- Lymphoma.org
- Maggioncalda A, Malik N, Shenoy P, et al. Clinical, Molecular, and Environmental Risk Factors for Hodgkin Lymphoma. Adv Hematol. 2011;2011;736261. doi:10.1155/2011/736261
- Horesh N, Horowitz NA. Does Gender Matter in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma? Differences in Epidemiology, Clinical Behavior, and Therapy. Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2014 Oct;5(4):e0038. doi:10.5041/RMMJ.10172
- Klimm B, Franklin J, Stein H, et al. Lymphocyte-Depleted Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Comprehensive Analysis From the German Hodgkin Study Group. J Clln Oncol. 2011 Oct;29(29):3914-20. doi:10.1200/JCO.2011.36.4703
- Brücher BLDM, Jamall IS. Somatic Mutation Theory: Why it's Wrong for Most Cancers. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2016;38:1663-80. doi:10.1159/000443106
- Freedman AS, Jacobson CA, Mauch P, Aster JC. Chapter 103: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology (10th ed). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.
- Ewers EC, Sheffler RL, Wang J, Ngauy V. Immunoproliferative Small Intestinal Disease Associated with Overwhelming Polymicrobial Gastrointestinal Infection with Transformation to Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016 May;94(5):1177-81. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0831
- Anderson LA, Atman AA, McShane CM, et al. Common infection-related conditions and risk of lymphoid malignancies in older individuals. Br J Cancer. 2014 May 27;110(11):2796-803. doi:10.1038/bjc.2014.173
- Vockerodt M, Cader FZ, Shannon-Lowe C, Murray P. Epstein-Barr virus and the origin of Hodgkin lymphoma. Chin J Cancer. 2014 Dec;33(12):591-7. doi:10.5732/cjc.014.10193
- Floch P, Mégraud F, Lehours P. Helicobacter pylori Strains and Gastric MALT Lymphoma. Toxins (Basel). 2017 Apr;9(4):132. doi:10.3390/toxins9040132
- Pozzato G, Mazzaro C, Dal Maso L. Hepatitis C virus and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas: Meta-analysis of epidemiology data and therapy options. World J Hepatol. 2016 Jan;8(2):107-16. doi:10.4254/wjh.v8.i2.107
- Narkhede M, Arora Sh, Ujjani C. Primary effusion lymphoma: current perspective. Onco Targets Ther. 2018;11:3747-54. doi:10.2147/OTT.S167392
- Mehta-Shah N, Ratner L, Horwitz SM. Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma. J Oncol Prac. 2017 Aug;13(8):487-92. doi:10.1200/JOP.2017.021907
- Kim CJ, Friedman DM, Curtis RE, et al. Risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma after radiotherapy for solid cancers. Leuk Lymphoma. 2013 Aug; 54(8). doi:10.3109/10428194.2012.753543
- Bertrand A, Giovannucci E, Rosner BA, et al. Dietary fat intake and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2 large prospective cohorts. Am J Clin Nutrition. 2017 Aug;106(2):650-6. doi:10.3945/ajcn.117.155010
- Ghione P, Cordeiro PG,Ni A, Hu Q. Risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) in a cohort of 3,546 women prospectively followed after receiving textured breast implants. J Clin Oncol. 2019 May;37(Suppl 15):1565. doi:10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.1565
- Clemens MW, Horowitz SM. NCCN Consensus Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Breast Implant-Associated Large Cell Lymphoma. Aesthetic Surg J. 2017;37(3):285-9. doi:10.1093/asj/sjw259
- Cerhan JR, Slager SL. Familial predisposition and genetic risk factors for lymphoma. Blood. 2015 Nov;126(20):2265-73. doi:10.1182/blood-2015-04-537498
- Navaranjan G, Hohenadel K, Blair A, et al. Exposures to multiple pesticides and the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma in Canadian men. Cancer Causes Control. 2013;24(9):1661-73. doi:10.1007/s10552-013-0240-y
- Scholz M, Engert A, Franklin J, et al. Impact of first- and second-line treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma on the incidence of AML/MDS and NHL: Experience of the German Hodgkin's Lymphoma Study Group analyzed by a parametric model of carcinogenesis. Ann Oncol. 2011 Mar;22(3):681-8. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdq408
- Smedby KE, Vajdic CM, Falster M, et al. Autoimmune disorders and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes: a pooled analysis within the InterLymph Consortium. Blood. 2008;111:4029-4038. doi:10.1182/blood-2007-10-119974
- Spinelli JJ, Ng CH, Weber JP, et al. Organochlorines and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Int J Cancer. 2007 Dec 15;121(12):2767-75. doi:10.1002/ijc.23005
- Strongman H, Brown A, Smeeth L, Bhaskaran K. Body mass index and Hodgkin's lymphoma: UK population-based cohort study of 5.8 million individuals. Br J Cancer. 2019;120:768-70. doi:10.1038/s41416-019-0401-1
Writer Bio
Jordan Meyers has been a writer for 13 years, specializing in businesses, educational and health topics. Meyers holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Maryland and once survived writing 500 health product descriptions in just 24 hours.