B-cell lymphoma refers to a group of cancers that attack the immune system. It is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.WhattoknowaboutB-celllymphomaMedicallyreviewedbyChristinaChun,MPH—WrittenbyZawnVillinesonApril27,2021TypesStagingOutlookCausesRiskfactorsSymptomsTreatmentSummaryB-celllymphomareferstoagroupofcancersthatattacktheimmunesystem.Itisthemostcommontypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.ThecancergrowsintheBcells,alsocalledBlymphocytes,whichmakeantibodiestoattackinvadingpathogens.B-celllymphomaisatypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.Non-Hodgkinlymphomaisthenameforagroupofcancersthatattackthewhitebloodcellsoftheimmunesystem.Doctorsdistinguishnon-HodgkinlymphomafromHodgkinlymphomabycheckingforReed-Sternbergcancercells,whichareahallmarkofthelatter.B-celllymphomausuallybeginsinthelymphnodes,butitcanalsoappearinotherpartsoftheimmunesystem,suchasthespleenorbonemarrow.Doctorsusuallydetectlymphomainthelymphsystem,whichincludesthelymphnodesandlymphfluid.However,thecancercanalsotraveloutsideofthissystem.TypesofB-celllymphomaShareonPinterestGettyImagesB-celllymphomaattackstheBcells,whicharepartoftheimmunesystem.Therearemanydifferentsubtypesthatvaryintermsofwherethecancerbegins.CutaneousB-celllymphomaislymphomaintheskin.WhencutaneousB-celllymphomaisprimary—meaningthatitoriginatedintheskinratherthandevelopingelsewherebeforespreadingtotheskin—itusuallygrowsveryslowly.TherearenumerousothertypesofB-celllymphoma.Someofthemostcommoninclude:DiffuselargeB-celllymphoma:Morecommoninpeopleovertheageof60years,thisformusuallybeginsasarapidlygrowinglymphnode—oftenintheneck,armpit,orchest.Itgrowsquicklyandcanbeaggressive,butabout75%ofpeoplehavenosignsofcanceraftertreatment.Follicularlymphoma:Alsomorecommonamongolderpeople,thistypeoflymphomagrowsmoreslowlyandislessaggressive.Althoughtreatmentcanslowitsgrowth,curingitischallenging.Itcansometimesdevelopintoafast-growingformofdiffuselargeB-celllymphoma.Chroniclymphocyticleukemiaandsmalllymphocyticlymphoma:Thesecancersaresosimilarthatdoctorsmaytreatthemas