Info
Lymphoma
Basics
What it means
A cancer of the lymphatic system, which mainly affects the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. There are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, and the treatment depends on the subtype and on the extent of the disease.
Related terms
The terms below often appear alongside this one. Each definition is right here, so you do not have to look elsewhere.
- Lymph node
- A small structure of the lymphatic system, involved in the body's defence. In cancer, the lymph nodes are important for staging, because they can be the route by which the disease begins to spread.
- Adenocarcinoma
- A subtype of carcinoma that arises in glandular cells, that is, cells that produce or secrete certain substances. It can appear in organs such as the lung, colon, pancreas or prostate.
- Benign tumor
- A growth that does not invade the surrounding tissues and does not produce metastases. Although it may sometimes need treatment or monitoring, a benign tumor is not considered cancer.
Other terms in “Basics”
Glossary definitions are written for patients by the OncoDots team and go through internal medical review. They explain terms; they do not establish a diagnosis and do not recommend a treatment.