What are the early symptoms of lymphoma

The initial manifestation of lymphoma is often asymptomatic superficial lymphadenopathy. 60%-80% of patients with Hodgkin's disease and 30%-40% of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may first experience cervical lymphadenopathy. 20%-35% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas have primary lesions in organs and tissues other than lymph nodes, such as tonsils, tongue base, nasopharynx, gastrointestinal tract, mediastinum, liver, spleen, bones and skin. Lymphomas are most common in the lymph nodes of the pharyngeal ring system, and a series of corresponding symptoms appear depending on the organs or systems invaded. Hodgkin's lymphomas mostly develop along the lymphatic vessels or nearby lymphatic systems, forming continuous lesions and early metastasis.

Lymphoma can also invade the brain, meninges, cranial nerves or spinal cord, causing increased intracranial pressure, mental disorders, cranial nerve paralysis or lower limb paralysis, sphincter incontinence, etc.

In addition to the above-mentioned local symptoms, about half of the patients may also experience systemic symptoms such as fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, lack of appetite, rash, itching, anemia, etc. From this, we can see that if the main manifestation is superficial lymph node enlargement, it may remind us to discover it early. Deep lesions often do not show symptoms until they grow larger, so it is difficult to diagnose early. Fortunately, the staging of lymphoma is not as important as other malignant tumors. Staging is only one of the multiple factors that determine prognosis. The pathological type and whether the tumor cells are sensitive to chemotherapy regimens are more important. Therefore, there is no need to feel desperate and upset because the disease is discovered late.