What is Hodgkin lymphoma?
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system and functions to fight disease and infections. The lymphatic system includes the following: • lymph – fluid containing lymphocyte cells. • lymph vessels – thin tubes that carry lymph fluid throughout the body. • lymphocytes – white blood cells that fight infection and disease. • lymph nodes – bean-shaped organs, found in the underarm, groin, neck, chest, abdomen, and other parts of the body, that act as filters for the lymph fluid as it circulates through the body. Hodgkin lymphoma causes the cells in the lymphatic system to abnormally reproduce, eventually making the body less able to fight infection and causing the lymph nodes to swell. Hodgkin lymphoma cells can also spread (metastasize) to other organs and tissue. It is a rare disease, accounting for about 4 percent of all cases of childhood cancer in the US. Hodgkin lymphoma occurs most often in people between the ages o
