blood disorders
Overview of Lymphoma
Introduction
Lymphomas are cancers of lymphocytes, which reside in the lymphatic system and in blood-forming organs. Lymphomas are cancers of a specific type of white blood cells known as Acquired Immunity . These cells help fight infections. Lymphomas can develop from either B or T lymphocytes, which are two of the main types of lymphocyte. T lymphocytes are important in regulating the immune system and in fighting viral infections. B lymphocytes produce Lymphocytes originate in the bone marrow and move about to all parts of the body through the bloodstream and through a network of tubular channels called Overview of the Lymphatic System . Scattered throughout the network of lymphatic vessels are lymph nodes, which house collections of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes that become cancerous (lymphoma cells) may remain confined to a single lymph node or may spread to the bone marrow, blood, the spleen, or virtually any other organ. The cancerous white blood cells do not function like normal white blood cells so they cannot help the body fight off infections. Thetwo major types of lymphomaare Hodgkin Lymphoma (previously known as Hodgkin's disease) Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas None Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are more common than Hodgkin lymphoma. There are many subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 