Hodgkin lymphoma can start anywhere in the lymphatic system. It can develop in more than one place in the body at the same time but the most common place for it to be noticed is in the lymph nodes in the neck.
The most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling, but other symptoms that can appear include:
- Heavy sweating, especially at night
- High temperatures that come and go with no obvious cause, often overnight
- Losing a lot of weight over a short period of time, despite eating well
- Itching, which may be worse after drinking alcohol
- Cough or shortness of breath
- Tummy (abdominal) pain or vomiting after drinking alcohol.
Differing slightly, NHL is commonly found in the neck, liver or spleen. But it can also be found in other body organs, such as the stomach, small bowel, bones, brain, testicles or skin. Although very uncommon, it can also affect the eye.
Similarly, NHL will also cause a painless swelling in one certain area of the body, with other possible symptoms including:
- Enlarged tonsils (these are at the back of your throat)
- A lump in your tummy (abdomen) – this could be due to an enlarged liver or spleen or enlarged lymph nodes in the tummy
- Breathlessness (if lymphoma is affecting nodes in your chest).