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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
The exact cause of Hodgkin's lymphoma is unknown. There are two main types of Hodgkin's lymphoma: classical and nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma. Most people have classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, which has four subtypes:
- Nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Mixed cellularity Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Lymphocyte depleted Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Lymphocyte-rich classical Hodgkin's lymphoma
All five types are among a group of cancers called lymphomas — cancers of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes (lymph glands), which are located throughout your body and are connected by small vessels called lymphatics. The spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow also are part of the lymphatic system.
Hodgkin's lymphoma commonly begins in lymph nodes located in the upper part of your body. Some lymph nodes are in areas more readily noticed, such as in your neck, above your collarbone, under your arms or in your groin area. Enlarged lymph nodes in the chest cavity also are common. Eventually, Hodgkin's lymphoma may spread outside your lymph nodes to virtually any part of your body.
Abnormal B cells
A key step in Hodgkin's lymphoma involves the development of abnormal B cells. B cells are a type of lymph cell that's an important part of your immune system's response to foreign invaders. B cells normally work with T cells, which mature in the thymus, to fight infection.
When B cells develop into large abnormal cells, these abnormal, cancerous cells are called Reed-Sternberg cells. Instead of undergoing the normal cell cycle of life and death, Reed-Sternberg cells don't die, and they continue to produce abnormal B cells in a malignant process. These cells also attract other normal immune cells that cause the lymph nodes to enlarge.
- What you need to know about Hodgkin lymphoma. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/hodgkin/allpages. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Overview: Hodgkin disease. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_3x.asp?dt=84. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Gottschalk SM, et al. Overview of Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Mauch PM. Clinical presentation and patterns of disease distribution on Hodgkin lymphoma in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Horwitz S, et al. Treatment of advanced stage (stage III-IV) Hodgkin lymphoma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- Bartlett, NL. Modern treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma. Current Opinion in Hematology. 2008;15:408.
- General information about adult Hodgkin lymphoma. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/adulthodgkins/Patient. Accessed June 7, 2009.
- Ng AK, et al. Late effects of Hodgkin's disease and its treatment. The Cancer Journal. 2009;15:164.
- Complementary and alternative therapies. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/ETO_5.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed June 7, 2009.
- Stages of adult Hodgkin lymphoma. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/adulthodgkins/Patient/page2. Accessed June 7, 2009.
- Ansell SM (expert opinion.) Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 12, 2009.
