Symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The most common symptom of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is one or more painless swellings in the:

• neck

• armpit

• groin

These swellings are enlarged lymph nodes.

General symptoms (B symptoms)

You might have other general symptoms such as:

• heavy sweating at night

• temperatures that come and go with no obvious cause

• losing a lot of weight (more than one tenth of your total weight over 6 months) and you don't know why

Doctors call this group of symptoms B symptoms. Some people with NHL have these symptoms, but many don't.

Doctors assess whether you have B symptoms to stage  your NHL and plan your treatment.

Other symptoms

There can be many other symptoms depending on where your NHL is in the body. These include:

• enlarged tonsils (these are at the back of your throat)

• a lump in your tummy due to an enlarged liver or spleen or lymph nodes - you may feel full after only a small amount of food, feel sick or have tummy pains

• breathlessness, chest pain or a feeling of pressure, or coughing  - if lymphoma is affecting nodes in your chest

• unexplained itching

Other symptoms can be caused by enlarged lymph nodes pressing on an organ, nerve or blood vessel.

Lymphomas that start in other organs, such as the stomach or skin, might cause symptoms such as weight loss or skin rashes.

NHL in the bone marrow

Some people with NHL have lymphoma cells in their bone marrow when they are diagnosed. This can cause low blood cell counts, such as:

• low red blood cell counts (anaemia), causing tiredness and sometimes breathlessness
• low white blood cell counts, increasing your risk of getting infections
• low platelet counts, causing bleeding problems such as very heavy periods, nosebleeds, unexplained bruising or a rash of tiny blood spots under the skin

Lymphomas of the brain

Lymphoma that starts in the brain is called primary cerebral lymphoma or primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. This is very rare. It can cause symptoms such as:

• headaches
• difficulty thinking
• difficulty moving parts of the body
• changes in personality
• changes to speech
• epileptic fits (seizures)

High grade lymphomas that started elsewhere in the body can sometimes spread to the brain. If this happens, you may have similar symptoms to these.