The most common symptom of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually in the neck, armpit or groin.
The swelling is caused by an excess of affected lymphocytes (white blood cells) collecting in your lymph node.
Some people may find that the swelling aches. Swollen nodes or glands are a common response to infection, so if you have swollen nodes don’t panic; it is highly unlikely they are the result of lymphoma. Read more information about lumps and swellings.
Other symptoms
Other symptoms will usually only begin once the cancer has spread through most or all of your lymphatic system.
This causes the lymphatic system to stop working properly, which weakens your immune response.
Symptoms of advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma include:
- unexplained tiredness or fatigue
- night sweats
- unexplained weight loss
- fever
- trouble getting rid of infections or increased risk of infection
- a persistent cough or feeling of breathlessness
- persistent itching of the skin all over the body
Other symptoms will depend on where in the body the enlarged lymph glands are. For example, if the lymphoma is in the abdomen (tummy), you may have abdominal pain or indigestion.
A few people with Hodgkin’s lymphoma have abnormal cells in their bone marrow when they are diagnosed. This can reduce the number of healthy cells in the blood and cause some of the above symptoms, as well as excessive bleeding, such as nosebleeds, heavy periods and spots of blood under the skin.
In rare cases, people with Hodgkin’s lymphoma may have pain in their affected lymph gland when they drink alcohol.
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Symptoms of Hodgkin"s lymphoma
