Whats the difference between hodgkin and non hodgkin lymphoma

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that attacks the immune system. Hodgkin lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin’s disease, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are two well-known subtypes. Regional Cancer Care Associates, a network of cancer hospitals throughout Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey, explains the key differences between these two lymphoma types.

What Is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma starts in your body’s lymphatic system, more commonly called the immune system. This is the collection of organs responsible for fighting illness and keeping your body healthy. Lymphoma develops when a genetic mutation, or cancer, affects one of the organs in the lymphatic system. The mutation results in abnormal lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) that cannot fight disease effectively.

Because lymphoma is a type of cancer, the diseased lymphocytes are reprogrammed to multiply extremely quickly and are unusually long-lived. As a result, the lymphoma spreads quickly as the diseased cells crowd out the body’s normal lymphocytes. Your body slowly loses its ability to fight illness while the lymph nodes, spleen, and liver swell with excess cells.

Telling the Difference

Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma both affect the lymphocytes. The primary difference is in which cell type they attack. Hodgkin lymphoma results in a unique type of cell called a Reed-Sternberg cell, a large, mutant lymphocyte that often includes more than one nucleus. Its distinctive appearance makes it easy for oncologists to identify. By contrast, non-Hodgkin lymphoma does not create this abnormal cell type.

While the presence or lack of Reed-Sternberg cells is the most obvious indicator, other important differences between Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma include the following:

• Hodgkin lymphoma is less common than non-Hodgkin (0.5% and 4.3% of all new cancer cases, respectively).
• Hodgkin is more likely to affect younger adults, while most non-Hodgkin patients are older than age 55.
• Hodgkin most often appears in the upper body, including the neck, chest, or armpits, whereas non-Hodgkin arises anywhere in the body.
• Hodgkin is easier to identify sooner, often resulting in more effective treatments.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Both types of lymphoma involve the same diagnosis strategies. The physician starts with a physical exam and X-ray to examine the body for swollen lymph nodes. These are followed by a blood test, lymph node biopsy, and bone marrow test to check for abnormal cells or imbalances in blood cells.

Treatment strategies for the two lymphomas are dissimilar, however. Treatment may not even be necessary for some patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as some slow-spreading forms can simply be monitored over time. If the lymphoma begins to grow quickly, the doctor may prescribe a round of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

By contrast, Hodgkin lymphoma is faster-growing, so treatment is more urgent. As with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chemotherapy or radiation are often prescribed, but in severe cases an aggressive treatment such as a bone marrow transplant may be necessary.

Raising Awareness of Lymphoma

Understanding the difference between lymphoma types is essential to providing effective treatment. Based in Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey, Regional Cancer Care Associates is dedicated to treating lymphoma and educating the public about this and other types of cancer. To learn more or schedule treatment for yourself or a loved one, get in touch today.

Published: July 6, 2015

Updated: November 6, 2019

• Hodgkin lymphoma is a malignancy of lymphocytes marked by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells, mature B cells that have become malignant.
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is also a malignancy of lymphocytes and can be derived from B cells or T cells.
• The diseases are different in numerous ways and often follow different courses of progression.

Although the diseases may sound similar, there is a lot of difference between Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Both diseases are malignancies of a family of white blood cells known as lymphocytes, which help the body fight off infections and other diseases. Hodgkin lymphoma is marked by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells, which are mature B cells that have become malignant, are unusually large, and carry more than one nucleus. The first sign of the disease is often the appearance of enlarged lymph nodes.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, by contrast, can be derived from B cells or T cells and can arise in the lymph nodes as well as other organs. (B cells and T cells play different roles in the body’s immune response to disease.)

The median age of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 60, but it occurs in all age groups. Hodgkin lymphoma most often occurs in people ages 15 to 24 and in people over 60. There are more than 60 distinct types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, whereas Hodgkin lymphoma is a more homogeneous disease.

What are the symptoms of lymphoma?

The two forms of lymphoma are marked by a painless swelling of the lymph nodes.

Hodgkin lymphomas are more likely to arise in the upper portion of the body (the neck, underarms, or chest).

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can arise in lymph nodes throughout the body, but can also arise in normal organs. Patients with either type can have symptoms such as weight loss, fevers, and night sweats.

The diseases often follow different courses of progression. Hodgkin lymphoma tends to progress in an orderly fashion, moving from one group of lymph nodes to the next, and is often diagnosed before it reaches an advanced stage. Most patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma are diagnosed at a more advanced stage.

How is lymphoma treated? Is it curable?

Treatments vary depending on the type of disease, its aggressiveness, and location, along with the age and general health of the patient.

As a general rule, however, Hodgkin lymphoma is considered one of the most treatable cancers, with more than 90 percent of patients surviving more than five years. Survival rates for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma tend to be lower, but for certain types of the disease, the survival rates are similar to those of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

New treatment approaches, including the use of therapies that spur the immune system to attack cancerous lymphocytes, are showing considerable promise.

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