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Night sweats, persistent fevers and unexplained weight loss are three of the most common symptoms of lymphoma, whether they stem from Hodgkin lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But each one has to meet certain criteria to be considered a possible sign of blood cancer.

In adults, that means:?

• Night sweats must happen repeatedly, not be due to menopause-related hot flashes, and you should be drenched in sweat to the point that you have to get up and change your nightclothes and/or sheets at least once before morning.
• Weight loss must reflect 10% or more of your body weight, though you¡¯re not actively trying to lose it.
• Fever must be persistent, higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit and not due to an underlying infection.?

¡°Lymphomas can be divided into two basic categories: aggressive and indolent,¡± explains lymphoma specialist ¡°Aggressive lymphomas grow and spread quickly, and can cause significant damage to tissue and organs. Because they are fast-growing, they are most commonly associated with what¡¯s known as ¡®B¡¯ symptoms. Indolent lymphomas, on the other hand, are slow-growing. They may not cause any symptoms at all, or cause symptoms that come and go over long periods of time.¡±

Here's how six of our patients knew they had lymphoma, in their own words.

Swollen lymph nodes

¡°I went to the doctor about a lump in my throat,¡± says Rob Moss, who was 49 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. ¡°It grew and shrank several times. My doctor said it was probably a ¡®thyroglossal duct cyst,¡¯ or a growth on my thyroid. It turned out to be a swollen lymph node.¡±

Weight loss

¡°I lost 20 pounds in a few weeks, was extremely short of breath and was so tired I could barely cross a room without needing to sit down,¡± says Shelby Wade, who was 23 when she was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma. ¡°I was also very hoarse and coughing a lot.¡±

Night sweats

¡°I experienced severe headaches, a consistent dry cough, weight loss and night sweats for about a month,¡± says Omar Dirani, who was 30 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. ¡°I thought I was sweating a lot because of all the exercise I was doing.¡±

Cough

¡°I thought I had a cold or the flu,¡± says Jeff Johnson, who was 38 when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. ¡°But the cough that came with it never went away. I kept visiting our family physician and trying different medications, but nothing helped.¡±

Pain

¡°I was having back pains on the left side of my kidney area,¡± recalls Ann Sorhouse, who was 49 when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. ¡°But I was doing a lot of physical labor, so I attributed it to muscle strain.¡±

Itching

¡°I started having intense itching just a few months after I felt a lump on my collar bone,¡± recalls Mallory Parrish, who was 32 when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. ¡°At first, I thought it might be a yeast infection, but an over-the-counter anti-fungal treatment didn¡¯t help.¡±

When to see a doctor about your lymphoma symptoms

Ahmed recommends contacting a physician if your symptoms last more than two weeks without improvement.

¡°The more symptoms you have, the more concerned you should be,¡± she explains. ¡°If you have multiple B symptoms that last more than two weeks, see your doctor right away. If you only have one symptom, but it¡¯s inconsistent, just make your doctor aware of it.¡±

Lymphoma symptoms that you shouldn¡¯t ignore

Some lymphoma symptoms are considered so serious that they warrant an immediate trip to the emergency room. These include:

Spinal cord compression

This can manifest as back pain, leg weakness, bowel or bladder incontinence, vision problems, changes in mental status, or altered sensation in the areas of the leg and buttocks that would typically be in contact with a saddle.

Superior vena cava obstruction

This can appear as difficulty breathing, chest pain, face or neck swelling, or difficulty swallowing. It¡¯s usually due to a mass of clogged lymph nodes in the middle of the chest.

Tumorlysis

Caused by rapidly dying lymphoma cells, this condition can lead to heart arrhythmia, kidney problems and an overall sensation of just not feeling well. If you get blood work done, it may also show you have elevated potassium levels or white blood cell counts.

¡°Roughly 40% to 50% of patients with aggressive lymphomas show symptoms before their diagnosis,¡± notes Ahmed. ¡°But only about 10% or less of patients with indolent lymphoma do.¡±?

Lymphoma symptoms can occur with any type or stage of disease, but they¡¯re more commonly seen in fast-growing lymphomas and when the disease is more advanced. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to get symptoms checked out quickly.

or call 1-877-632-6789.

When people get sick with a cold or sore throat, they often say, ¡®My glands are swollen.¡¯ What they¡¯re really referring to are the lymph nodes in their neck.

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures that are part of your lymphatic system. They work within your immune system as a filter to help fight off infection, disease and potentially harmful foreign substances.?

Here, I¡¯ll share more about lymph nodes, including where they¡¯re located in your body, how they function within your immune system and the role they play in cancer detection and prevention.

What are lymph nodes, and what do they do?

Lymph nodes are part of your immune system. They¡¯re connected to one another by an intricate system of lymphatic vessels, which carry lymph fluid throughout your lymphatic system.

Lymph nodes contain white blood cells that help fight infections, destroy abnormal cells that could become cancerous and destroy cancer cells before they spread to other parts of the body.

Where are lymph nodes located?

You have several hundred lymph nodes located throughout your body. Certain areas of the body have clusters of lymph nodes, including:

• your axilla (armpit)
• along your neck
• your chest, on either side of the lungs
• your groin

What causes swollen lymph nodes?

Infection is the most common cause of swollen lymph nodes. For example, your lymph nodes may swell if you have a viral infection like the cold or the flu, or a bacterial infection like strep throat. This means that the white blood cells in your lymph nodes are working to filter out the viruses, harmful bacteria and damaged cells.

Trauma or injury that damages a particular region of your body can also cause the lymph nodes surrounding that area to swell.

Sometimes, swollen lymph nodes can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as lymphoma or other types of cancer.?

Lymphedema is swelling in the arm or leg that occurs when the lymphatic system doesn¡¯t drain properly, causing fluid to build up. That buildup of fluid causes swelling, heaviness and tightness.

Cancer treatment, like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, is the top cause of lymphedema in the U.S. Lymphedema can be treated with:

• Massage
• Bandaging
• Pumping
• Compression garments
• Physical therapy
• Exercise
• Surgery

When should you worry about your lymph nodes?

If your lymph nodes are swollen due to an infection, the swelling will likely go away as your body rids itself of the infection and you start feeling better.

See your doctor if you have swollen lymph nodes for an unexplained reason, if they continue to get bigger or if they don¡¯t get better after two weeks.

Can lymph nodes be cancerous?

Sometimes swollen lymph nodes can be the first sign of cancer. This is often the case with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that develops in the lymph nodes. Other times, lymph nodes can swell if cancer from another part of the body has spread to nearby lymph nodes. For example, breast cancer often spreads to lymph nodes in the axilla (armpit).

If you¡¯re ever concerned about swelling in your lymph nodes, see a doctor to get it checked out.

It¡¯s important to note that most causes of swollen lymph nodes are not due to cancer.

How are lymph node conditions diagnosed?

An ultrasound is the most common diagnostic test to evaluate lymph nodes. Your doctor may also use other imaging techniques, like a CT scan or PET scan, to identify abnormal lymph nodes. If your doctor suspects cancer, they¡¯ll typically recommend a biopsy.

What happens if your lymph nodes are removed?

The more lymph nodes you have removed, the more your risk for lymphedema increases. But other factors, like obesity, increase your lymphedema risk as well. So, it doesn¡¯t mean that you will get lymphedema if you have lymph nodes removed.

There¡¯s no magic number. Remember, your body has hundreds of lymph nodes. They help your body monitor for abnormal cells and ward off infection.

Lymph nodes may be removed for several reasons, such as surgery for cancer treatment, a biopsy or inadvertently during certain operations like plastic surgery unrelated to cancer treatment.

We try to identify early signs of lymphedema so that we can start treatment and prevent the condition from getting worse. If you¡¯re an MD Anderson patient dealing with lymphedema, we¡¯ll usually refer you to Rehabilitation Services; they may recommend exercise or manual lymph drainage. Some patients will need surgery.

The key is to catch lymphedema early, so we can manage and ease your symptoms.??

, is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who treats cancer patients who develop problems with their lymphatic system after treatment.

or call 1-877-632-6789.