What are the symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma?

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a malignant disease that can take the patient's life. For such a serious disease, in addition to actively preventing it in daily life, it is also necessary to understand its symptoms. If we are unfortunately diagnosed with it, we can achieve early detection and early treatment to effectively control the disease.

1. Swollen lymph nodes

90% of patients present with lymphadenopathy, most of which manifest as cervical and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Lymph node enlargement is usually painless and progressive. Pain after drinking alcohol is a relatively specific finding in the diagnosis of lymphoma.

2. Extranodal lesions

In the late stage, the disease may involve organs outside the lymph nodes, causing anatomical and functional disorders of the corresponding organs and leading to a variety of clinical manifestations.

3. Systemic symptoms

20% to 30% of patients present with fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Fever may be low-grade or sometimes intermittently high. In addition, there may be itching, fatigue, etc.

4. Clinical manifestations of different histological types

Nodular lymphocytic predominant type (NLPHL) is more common in males, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. The lesions usually involve the surrounding lymph nodes and are mostly early localized lesions at the initial diagnosis. About 80% are in stage I or II. The natural course of the disease is slow and the prognosis is good. The complete remission rate of treatment can reach 90%, and the 10-year survival rate is about 90%. However, the prognosis of patients in the late stage (stage III and IV) is poor. Among classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, the lymphocyte-rich type accounts for about 6%, with an average older age and more common in men. The clinical features are between nodular lymphocyte-predominant type and classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, often presenting as early localized lesions with a better prognosis, but the survival rate is lower than that of NLPHL. The nodular sclerosis type is most common in developed countries, mostly in young adults and adolescents, with a slightly higher incidence in women. It often manifests as lymph node lesions in the mediastinum and other parts of the diaphragm, and the prognosis is good; the mixed cell type accounts for 15% to 30% in European and American countries and can occur at different ages. Clinical manifestations: Abdominal lymph node and spleen lesions are common. About half of the patients are in the late stage (stage III or IV) when they seek medical treatment, and the prognosis is poor. The lymphocyte depletion type is rare, accounting for about 1%, and is more common in the elderly and people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It often involves the abdominal lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow, and is often accompanied by systemic symptoms. The disease progresses rapidly and the prognosis is poor.