Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system and helps filter out bacteria, viruses and other undesirable elements. Most people do not see how your lymphatic system, in fact, the only time you can realize your lymphatic system is when the lymph nodes (sometimes referred to as glands) swell. This occurs when a person is sick – a sign that the lymphatic system works hard to filter out harmful components of the body.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a disease in which cancer cells form in the lymphatic system and start to grow uncontrollably. There are several types of lymphoma. Involved in a particular cell type, which are grouped under the name of Hodgkin lymphoma. All other forms of lymphoma fall into the inclusion of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Various forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma depends on the care that the cell appearance under the microscope.
Nobody really knows what causes NHL. Doctors have identified several risk factors (which may increase the likelihood of a person to develop certain conditions) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These include conditions that weaken the immune system such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) require immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplantation, and exposure to certain viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (the virus that usually causes mononucleosis) .
People with a brother or sister with the disease are more likely to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, it is not contagious – it can be passed to another person and can not get from you.