Lymphoma is the name applied to a group of blood cell tumors that develop from lymphatic cells. The name often refers to just the cancerous ones rather than all such tumors.[1] Symptoms may include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, drenching sweats, weight loss, itching, and feeling tired.[2][3] The enlarged lymph nodes are usually painless.[2] The sweats are most common at night.[2][3]
There are dozens of subtypes of lymphomas.[4] The two main categories of lymphomas are Hodgkin lymphomas (HL) and the non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL).[5] The World Health Organization (WHO) includes two other categories as types of lymphoma: multiple myeloma and immunoproliferative diseases.[6] About 90% of lymphomas are non-Hodgkin lymphomas.[5][7] Lymphomas and leukemias are a part of the broader group of tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues.[8]