Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) accounts for about 5% of cases. The cancer cells in NLPHL are large cells called popcorn ...Whatpatientsandcaregiversneedtoknowabout cancer,coronavirus,andCOVID-19.CloseCriticalAlertBannerSearchVerenespañol|Downloadthistopic[PDF]AboutHodgkinLymphomaWhatIsHodgkinLymphoma?KeyStatisticsforHodgkinLymphomaWhat’sNewinHodgkinLymphomaResearchandTreatment?CancerA-ZHodgkinLymphomaAboutHodgkinLymphomaWhatIsHodgkinLymphoma?Cancerstartswhencellsstarttogrowoutofcontrol.Cellsinnearlyanypartofthebodycanbecomecancer,andcanthenspreadtootherpartsofthebody.Tolearnmoreabouthowcancersstartandspread,seeWhatIsCancer?Lymphomasarecancersthatstartinwhitebloodcellscalledlymphocytes.Thereare2maintypesoflymphoma:Hodgkinlymphoma(HL)Non-Hodgkinlymphoma(NHL)Theybehave,spread,andrespondtotreatmentdifferently,soit'simportantforyoutoknowwhichoneyouhave.ThisinformationisaboutHodgkinlymphoma.Tolearnabouttheothertype,seeNon-HodgkinLymphoma.ThelymphsystemTounderstandwhatHodgkinlymphomais,ithelpstoknowaboutthelymphsystem(alsoknownasthelymphaticsystem).Thelymphsystemispartoftheimmunesystem,whichhelpsfightinfectionsandsomeotherdiseases.Thelymphsystemalsohelpscontroltheflowoffluidsinthebody.Thelymphsystemismadeupmainlyofcellscalledlymphocytes,atypeofwhitebloodcell.Thereare2maintypesoflymphocytes:Blymphocytes(Bcells):Bcellsmakeproteinscalledantibodiestohelpprotectthebodyfromgerms(bacteriaandviruses).Tlymphocytes(Tcells):TherearemanytypesofTcells.SomeTcellsdestroygermsorabnormalcellsinthebody.OtherTcellshelpboostorslowtheactivityofotherimmunesystemcells.HodgkinlymphomausuallystartsinBlymphocytes.StartandspreadofHodgkinlymphomaLymphtissueisinmanypartsofyourbody,soHodgkinlymphomacanstartalmostanywhere. Themajorsitesoflymphoidtissueare:Lymphnodes:Lymphnodesarebean-sizedcollectionsoflymphocytesandotherimmunesystemcells.They'refoundthroughoutthebody,includinginsidethechest,abdomen(belly),andpelvis.They'reconnectedtoeachotherbyasystemoflymphaticvessels.Lymphvess