Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas share many symptoms. Symptoms can be mild, making lymphoma hard to diagnose. Many other conditions can cause similar symptoms. However, if you have symptoms without any obvious cause, see your doctor.
Symptoms of each lymphoma
| Symptoms | Hodgkin | non-Hodgkin |
| painless swelling in lymph nodes | usually in neck, chest or underarms | can occur in any lymph nodes in the body |
| fever* | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| night sweats that drench the bed* | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| unexplained weight loss* | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| fatigue | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| chest pain or coughing | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| abdominal pain or swelling | sometimes | ⚫ |
| chest pain and/or difficulty breathing | rarely | ⚫ |
* These are called B symptoms and are specific signs that doctors look for when diagnosing and staging lymphoma. These symptoms help doctors understand how advanced the lymphoma is.
→ READ MORE: Lymphoma diagnosis
I’d noticed a lump in my neck but didn’t think much of it. When I started sweating so much at night that the sheets were drenched, I went to the doctor. After a biopsy I was told I had follicular lymphoma. I had no idea what that was.
Helen
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Dr Ian Bilmon, Haematologist, Westmead Hospital and Sydney Adventist Hospital, NSW; Suzanne Basha, Consumer; Jo Cryer, Clinical Nurse Consultant Haematology, St George Hospital, NSW; Jessica Elliott, Senior Social Worker, Youth Cancer Services, Crown Princess Mary Centre Westmead, NSW; Dr Robin Gasiorowski, Haematologist, Concord and Macquarie University Hospitals, NSW; Prof Angela Hong, Radiation Oncologist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Melanoma Institute Australia, GenesisCare, and Clinical Professor, The University of Sydney, NSW; Karen Maddock, CAR T Cell and Cell Therapy Nurse Practitioner, Westmead Hospital, NSW; Jenn Partenfelder, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Elise Toyer, Clinical Nurse Consultant Haematology, Blacktown Hospital, NSW.
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