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Overview
Definition
Hodgkin's disease is a cancer of the lymph nodes or other lymphatic tissue. It's classified as a type of lymphoma. The lymphomas are a group of cancers affecting lymphatic tissue, primarily composed of lymph nodes, the spleen and bone marrow. Lymph nodes are bean-sized organs all over the body where immune cells, called "lymphocytes," mature into cells primed to fight off infection.
The cancer cell of Hodgkin's disease is a larger than normal defective lymphocyte called a "Reed-Sternburg" cell (named after the doctors who discovered it). Characteristics of the Reed-Sternburg cell, as well as the concentration of normal-appearing lymphocytes, help to identify the types of Hodgkin's lymphomas:
- Nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Mixed cellularity Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Lymphocyte depletion Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Lymphocyte-rich classical Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma
In 2006 there will be about 7,800 new cases of Hodgkin's disease and 1,490 deaths. Hodgkin's disease is most common in two age groups: in young adults (ages 25 to 30) and in late adulthood (after age 55). However, about one out of 10 cases is diagnosed in a child 16 years old or younger.
Most cases of Hodgkin's disease begin in the lymph nodes of the chest, neck or axilla (underarm). Unlike the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease behaves more predictably and is less likely to spread outside of the lymph nodes. These factors contribute to the good survival rate prognosis for Hodgkin's lymphoma, especially in stages I and II (90 percent to 95 percent). The 5-year survival rate prognosis for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas is 55 percent.
More on Hodgkin's Disease
In the Encyclopedia:
Emergency Symptoms of Advanced Hodgkin's Disease Include:
 | Sudden high fever |
| Loss of bladder or bowel control |
| Loss of strength |
| Numbness in the arms and legs |
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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