Home > Medical Reference > Patient Education

Ask the Expert

Get answers to your Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma questions.

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis or individual treatment advice via e-mail. Please consult your physician about your specific health care concerns.

Hodgkin's disease - Symptoms

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Hodgkin's disease.

Alternative Names

Lymphoma - Hodgkin's; Hodgkin's lymphoma; Hodgkins disease; HD

Symptoms:

Symptoms of Hodgkin� ' s disease may include:

Swollen (but painless) lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin
Pain in lymph nodes after drinking alcohol
Itching throughout body (pruritis)
Persistent fatigue
Coughing, difficulty breathing, or chest pain may indicate that swollen lymph nodes in the chest are pressing on the windpipe
Unexplained weight loss of more than 10% in previous 6 months
Persistent fever
Drenching night sweats

The last three symptoms (weight loss, fever, and night sweats) are classified as “B symptoms.” B symptoms may be used in staging Hodgkin� ' s disease and can indicate that more aggressive treatment will be required.

Sometimes patients with Hodgkin� ' s disease do not experience any symptoms, or symptoms may not appear until the cancer is very advanced. Enlarged lymph nodes can also be caused by many noncancerous conditions, such as infections.

Resources

www.cancer.gov -- National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.org -- American Cancer Society
www.lymphoma.org -- Lymphoma Research Foundation
www.leukemia.org -- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
www.asco.org -- American Society of Clinical Oncology
www.cancer.net -- Cancer.Net
www.lymphomainfo.net -- Lymphoma Information Network
www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials -- Find clinical trials

References

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2008. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society, 2008.

Brenner H, Gondos A, Pulte D. Ongoing improvement in long-term survival of patients with Hodgkin disease at all ages and recent catch-up of older patients. Blood. 2008;111 (6): 2977-83.

Fermé C, Eghbali H, Meerwaldt JH, et al. Chemotherapy plus involved-field radiation in early-stage Hodgkin's disease. N Engl J Med. 2007 Nov 8;357(19):1916-27.

Horning SJ. Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG, eds. Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 111.

Juweid ME, Stroobants S, Hoekstra OS, et al. Use of positron emission tomography for response assessment of lymphoma: consensus of the Imaging Subcommittee of International Harmonization Project in Lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Feb 10;25(5):571-8. Epub 2007 Jan 22.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Hodgkin Disease / Lymphoma. V.2.2009.

Oeffinger KC, Ford JS, Moskowitz CS, Diller LR, Hudson MM, Chou JF, et al. Breast cancer surveillance practices among women previously treated with chest radiation for a childhood cancer. JAMA. 2009 Jan 28;301(4):404-14.

Reviewed last on: 3/5/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

Connect with UMMC

© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.800.492.5538