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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffIn most cases, people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma don't have any obvious risk factors, and many people who have risk factors for the disease never develop it. Some factors that may contribute to your risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma include:
- Immunosuppression. If you've had an organ transplant, you're more susceptible because immunosuppressive therapy has reduced your body's ability to fight off new illnesses.
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Infection. A number of infections appear to increase your risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Having AIDS, in which your immune system is progressively weakened, also places you at higher risk. An infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is known to cause ulcers, can cause an immune system response that raises your risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, particularly in the stomach.
In Africa, infection with the parasite that causes malaria or the Epstein-Barr virus appears to raise the risk of a particular type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, called Burkitt's lymphoma.
- Chemicals. Certain chemicals, such as those used to kill insects and weeds, may increase your risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. More research is needed to understand the possible link between herbicides and insecticides and the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- Age. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can occur at any age, but the risk increases with age. It's most common in people in their 60s or older.
