Hodgkin's lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin's disease, is one of a group of cancers called lymphomas (a type of blood cancer). Hodgkin's lymphoma is a less common lymphoma, making up less than 1% of cancers in the United States.¹

It occurs mainly in young adults (usually between 16 and 34 years old) and older people (over age 55).² The cause of Hodgkin's lymphoma is not known, and doctors don't know why one person gets Hodgkin's lymphoma and another does not. However, they do know that people do not get Hodgkin's lymphoma by injuring themselves or by being too close to someone with the disease.²

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The Lymphatic System

Reed-Sternberg (R-S) Cell

Hodgkin's lymphoma starts in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system helps the body fight disease and infection. Small organs in the body called lymph nodes are found in the underarms, groin, neck, and elbows.³

Patients with Hodgkin's disease develop abnormal B cells, a type of lymph cell that helps fight infection.³ These abnormal, cancerous cells are called Reed-Sternberg cells.^2,3

Instead of following the normal cell cycle of life and death, Reed-Sternberg cells don't die. They divide too fast and grow out of control. Hodgkin's lymphoma can start almost anywhere and spread to almost any other part of the body.³

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Stages of Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Once a patient is diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, the doctor needs to learn the "stage" of the disease. Finding out which of the 4 stages the cancer is in tells the doctor how far the disease has spread.⁴

Staging is usually based on:⁵

• The size and location of cancerous lymph nodes
• Whether the lymph nodes containing cancer are on one or both sides of the chest area
• Whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body

Hodgkin's lymphoma is called "advanced" when it is in stage III or IV. This means:^3,6

• Cancer has spread to lymph nodes both below and above the chest area
• Cancer has spread to other organs in the body
• The cancer is at a lower stage (such as stage I or II), but there are several tumors or the tumor is large (called bulky disease)

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Portions of this information on Hodgkin's lymphoma are reproduced courtesy of the National Cancer Institute: www.nci.nih.gov.

References:

1. National Cancer Institute. What is Hodgkin's disease? In: What you need to know aboutTM: Hodgkin's Disease. Available at: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/hodgkins/page2. Accessed June 21, 2005.
2. Understanding Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Guide for Patients.© 2004 Lymphoma Research Foundation.
3. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). In: CNN Health Library. Hodgkin's disease. Available at: www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00186.html. Accessed June 21, 2005.
4. National Cancer Institute. Stages of adult Hodgkin's lymphoma. In: Adult Hodgkin's Lymphoma (PDQ®): Treatment. Available at: www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/ treatment/adulthodgkins/Patient/page2. Accessed June 21, 2005.
5. National Cancer Institute. Diagnosis and staging. In: What you need to know aboutTM: Hodgkin's Disease. Available at: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/hodgkins/page5. Accessed June 21, 2005.
6. University of Maryland Medical Center. What are the general guidelines for staging and treating Hodgkin's disease? Available at: www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_general_ guidelines_staging_treating_hodgkins_disease_000083_6.htm. Accessed June 21, 2005.

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