Hodgkin's disease (HD) is a type of lymphoma, which is a blood cancer that starts in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system helps the immune system get ...Hodgkin’sDiseaseMedicallyreviewedbyYaminiRanchod,Ph.D.,M.S.—WrittenbyJaimeHerndon,MS,MPH,MFA—UpdatedonSeptember17,2018SymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentRisksOutlookWhatisHodgkin’sdisease?Hodgkin’sdisease(HD)isatypeoflymphoma,whichisabloodcancerthatstartsinthelymphaticsystem.Thelymphaticsystemhelpstheimmunesystemgetridofwasteandfightinfections.HDisalsocalledHodgkindisease,Hodgkinlymphoma,andHodgkin’slymphoma.HDoriginatesinwhitebloodcellsthathelpprotectyoufromgermsandinfections.Thesewhitebloodcellsarecalledlymphocytes.InpeoplewithHD,thesecellsgrowabnormallyandspreadbeyondthelymphaticsystem.Asthediseaseprogresses,itmakesitmoredifficultforyourbodytofightinfections.HDcanbeeitherclassicHodgkin’sdiseaseornodularlymphocyticpredominantHodgkin’slymphoma(NLPHL).ThetypeofHDisbasedonthetypesofcellsinvolvedinyourconditionandtheirbehavior.ThemaincauseofHDisn’tknown.ThediseasehasbeenlinkedtoDNAmutations,orchanges,aswellastotheEpstein-Barrvirus(EBV),whichcausesmononucleosis.HDcanoccuratanyage,butitmostcommonlyaffectspeoplebetweenages15and40andpeopleoverage55.WhatarethesymptomsofHodgkin’sdisease?ThemostcommonsymptomofHDisswellingofthelymphnodes,whichcausesalumptoformundertheskin.Thislumpusuallyisn’tpainful.Itmayforminoneormoreofthefollowingareas:onthesideoftheneckinthearmpitaroundthegroinOthersymptomsofHDinclude:nightsweatsitchyskinfeverfatigueunintendedweightlosspersistentcough,troublebreathing,chestpainpaininthelymphnodesafterconsumingalcoholenlargedspleenCallyourdoctorrightawayifyouhaveanyofthesesymptoms.Theycanbesignsofotherconditions,andit’simportanttogetanaccuratediagnosis.HowisHodgkin’sdiseasediagnosed?TodiagnoseHD,yourdoctorwillperformaphysicalexamandaskyouaboutyourmedicalhistory.Yourdoctorwillalsoordercertaintestssotheycanmakeaproperdiagnosis.Thefollowingtestsmaybedone:imagingtests,suchasX-raysorCTscanslymphnodebiopsy,whichinv