What are the early symptoms of lymphoma?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on January 10, 2025
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Lymphoma is a malignant tumor of the hematological system, with early symptoms including painless enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck, which are generally well-movable and firm or hard in texture early on, without inflammatory changes such as redness, swelling, heat, or pain. Additionally, lymphomas occurring in the gastrointestinal tract can clinically present with symptoms such as upper abdominal fullness and discomfort, bloating, nausea, recurrent acid reflux, and belching. Lymphomas occurring in the respiratory system can manifest clinically with symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath after activity, and chest pain. Lymphomas occurring in the brain can cause dizziness, headaches, movement disorders, ataxia, and abnormal gait.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Is lymphoma the same as lymphatic cancer?

Lymphoma refers to a type of malignant tumor that originates in lymph nodes or extranodal tissues or organs. The cancer we usually talk about refers to malignant tumors originating from epithelial tissues, which we call cancer, such as lung cancer, liver cancer, etc. Therefore, lymphoma is actually what non-medical professionals commonly refer to as lymphatic cancer. It is simply called lymphoma instead of cancer because it originates in lymph nodes or extranodal tissues or organs, and therefore, it is termed malignant lymphoma, which in layman's terms is lymphatic cancer.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Can lymphoma be cured?

Whether lymphoma can be cured depends on the specific pathological type of lymphoma, as there are dozens of subtypes, each with different prognoses and sensitivities to treatment. Additionally, the stage of lymphoma in patients also affects the prognosis. For example, patients with early-stage lymphoma can achieve a cure through radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, for patients with advanced-stage lymphoma, treatment primarily involves chemotherapy, especially in cases of highly aggressive lymphoma, where it is difficult to achieve a complete cure. The goal of treatment in such cases is to alleviate pain and extend the patient's life.

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Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
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Is lymphoma hereditary?

Lymphoma is generally not hereditary, as it is not a genetic disease. However, I must mention that most neoplastic diseases do have some hereditary factors to some extent. The reason for this is that the cause of lymphoma is currently unclear, and it may be related to genetic mutations, which raises the issue of heredity. Another point is that heredity often refers to transmission among direct relatives. This means there could be a problem in that you might share similar environments and lifestyles, including diet. If there are factors in your diet or living environment that could trigger lymphoma, and you are both exposed to these factors, then your probability of developing lymphoma could indeed be higher than in patients without a family history, leading to such a concern.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Lymphoma fever symptoms

Patients with lymphoma commonly exhibit symptoms such as fever, clinically referred to as B symptoms. Some patients may also experience additional B symptoms such as fatigue, sweating, or weight loss. Patients displaying these B symptoms generally have a poorer prognosis. Furthermore, lymphoma patients typically experience fever more frequently in the afternoon or evening, usually presenting with a low-grade fever. If the condition of a lymphoma patient is not controlled, their fever symptoms will recur repeatedly. Only when the condition is under control will there be an alleviation of fever symptoms. Anti-inflammatory drugs are not effective in these cases.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Are all lymphomas malignant?

Tumors can be benign or malignant; malignant tumors are commonly referred to as cancer. Lymphoma, because it originates from lymph nodes or tissues or organs outside the lymph nodes, is a type of malignant tumor, and thus it is called lymphoma. All lymphomas are malignant; there are no benign lymphomas. However, based on specific pathological types, lymphomas are classified into two main categories: non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma, but all lymphomas are malignant.