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  2. Types

Types of lymphoma

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The 2 main types of lymphoma are: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphoma is divided into:

  • classical Hodgkin lymphoma – this makes up about 95% of all cases of Hodgkin lymphoma in developed countries and has 4 subtypes
    • nodular sclerosis (the most common type)
    • mixed cellularity
    • lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin lymphoma
    • lymphocyte-rich Hodgkin lymphoma
  • nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are divided into numerous types, based on how the lymphoma cells look under a microscope and other properties of the cells. They include:

  • B-cell lymphomas, which start in B lymphocytes (white blood cells that produce antibodies); these lymphomas are more common in Australia and include
    • diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (the most common type)
    • follicular lymphoma
    • chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma
    • mantle cell lymphoma
    • marginal zone B-cell lymphomas
    • Burkitt lymphomas
    • lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia)
    • hairy cell leukaemia (this is sometimes considered to be a type of lymphoma)
    • primary central nervous system lymphoma
  • T-cell lymphomas, which start in T lymphocytes (white blood cells that play various roles in attacking foreign cells as part of the immune system); these lymphomas include
    • precursor T-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukaemia
    • peripheral T-cell lymphomas – these include most types of skin (cutaneous) lymphomas, although some skin lymphomas are B-cell lymphomas.

Some of these types of lymphomas are divided into further subtypes.

In children, the most common types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma are:

  • lymphoblastic lymphoma
  • Burkitt lymphoma
  • diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
  • Last Updated
  • References
  • Relevant Links
updated: 20 October 2020 - 3:32pm
  • American Cancer Society. Hodgkin disease http://www.cancer.org/cancer/hodgkindisease/index.
  • National Cancer Institute (2014). Adult Hodgkin lymphoma treatment (PDQ®) http://www.cancer.gov/types/lymphoma/patient/adult-hodgkin-treatment-pdq, patient version.
  • American Cancer Society. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma http://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-hodgkinlymphoma/index.
  • Leukaemia Foundation Australia. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) http://www.leukaemia.org.au/blood-cancers/lymphomas/non-hodgkin-lymphoma-nhl.
  • American Cancer Society. Lymphoma of the skin http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lymphomaoftheskin/index.
  • American Cancer Society. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children http://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-hodgkinlymphomainchildren/index.
  • National Cancer Institute (2015). Childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment (PDQ®) http://www.cancer.gov/types/lymphoma/patient/child-nhl-treatment-pdq, patient version.
Leukaemia Foundation Australia
Lymphoma care pathway (Aus)
National Cancer Institute
American Cancer Society

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