MenuNewsReferenceSlideshowsQuestions&AnswersMedicationsFindanOncologistOverview&FactsRisks&PreventionSymptoms&SignsCancerTypesDiagnosis&TestsYourCancerCareTeamCancerTreatmentCutting-EdgeTreatmentsLiving&ManagingRemission&RecurrenceSupport&ResourcesAllGuideTopicsLymphomaHodgkin'sLymphomaNon-Hodgkin'sLymphomaLeukemiaChildhoodLeukemiaPolycythemiaVeraChronicMyeloidLeukemiaMyelodysplasticSyndromeAcuteLymphoblasticLeukemiaBook:TakeControlofYourCancerRiskChronicLymphocyticLeukemiaMultipleMyelomaRadiationTherapyChemotherapyFindaHematologistCancerHealthCenterCancerA-ZGuideCancerLeukemia&LymphomaMenuMedicallyReviewedbyNehaPathak, MDonFebruary16,2021YourGuideToDiffuseLargeB-CellLymphomaCausesSymptomsGettingaDiagnosisQuestionsforYourDoctorTreatmentTakingCareofYourselfWhattoExpectGettingSupportDiffuselargeB-celllymphoma,orDLBCL,isacancerthatstartsinwhitebloodcellscalledlymphocytes.Itusuallygrowsinlymphnodes--thepea-sizedglandsinyourneck,groin,armpits,andelsewherethatarepartofyourimmunesystem.Itcanalsoshowupinotherareasofyourbody.DLBCLgrowsfast,but3outof4peoplearedisease-freeaftertreatment,andabouthalfarecured.Andresearchersareworkingtomaketreatmentsevenbetter.Therearetwotypesoflymphoma:Hodgkin'sandnon-Hodgkin's.Theybehave,grow,andrespondtotreatmentdifferently.DLBCListhemostcommonnon-Hodgkin'slymphoma.AndthereareseveraltypesofDLBCL.It'snormaltohaveworriesandquestionsaboutanyseriouscondition.Learnaboutyourtreatmentoptions,andseekoutfamilyandfriendsforsupport.Theycanhelpyougetthroughtheemotionalandphysicalchallengesahead.CausesDoctorsdon'tknowwhatcausesDLBCLandothernon-Hodgkin'slymphomas.Theydoknowthatyouaremorelikelytogetthemifyou're:Middle-agedorolder(onaverage,peoplearediagnosedwithDLBCLat64yearsold)AmanNotAsianorAfrican-AmericanYourchancesofgettingDLBCLmayalsogoupifyouhaveanautoimmunedisease,oryourimmunesystemisweakenedinanotherway.Ifyou'vebeentreatedwithbothradiationandchemotherapybefore,oryou'vebeenexposedtohigherlevelsofradiationorcertainchemicals,youroddsarehigher,too.Sympt