What is lymphoma and what causes it?
Lymphomas are cancers that develop in the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s immune system. The lymphatic system is made up of thin tubes that branch, like blood vessels, into all parts of the body. Lymph vessels carry lymph, a watery fluid that contains white blood cells called lymphocytes. Along the network of vessels are groups of small, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes, which make and store infection-fighting cells. Clusters of nodes are found in the underarm, groin, pelvis, neck, chest and abdomen. The spleen (an organ in the upper abdomen that filters old blood cells from the blood), the thymus (a small organ beneath the breastbone), and the tonsils (an organ in the throat) are also part of the lymph system. Because lymphatic tissue occurs in all parts of the body, lymphomas can start in any tissue or organ. There are only 5 subtypes of Hodgkins lymphoma but there are a multitude of subtypes of non-Hodgkins lymphomas. Lymphoma associated with HIV disease is usuall
