Description

• Lymphoma begins in the immune system, affecting the cells called lymphocytes. These are white blood cells that play an integral part in the body's defense against disease.
  
  

Causes

• Although there are no known exact causes of lymphoma, people with diseases that significantly weaken the immune system (e.g., AIDS) or have a family history of lymphoma are more likely than others to develop the cancer.
  
  

Symptoms

• Usually, a person affected with lymphoma would develop a painful swelling in the neck, under an arm or in the groin. Other symptoms include fever, chills, weight loss and itching.
  
  

Diagnosis

• Developing any of the aforementioned symptoms requires immediate medical attention. Although they might not have anything to do with lymphoma, it never hurts to check.
  
  

Treatment

• The most widely used treatments are combinations of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, treatment depends on type and stage of the cancer, and factors such as age, general health and health history have to be considered. As with many cancers, the chances of a person being cured of lymphoma increases the earlier it is diagnosed and the quicker it is treated.