Which has better survival rate hodgkins or non hodgkin lymphoma

Q: Is it better to have Hodgkins or non

Hodgkins lymphoma is one of the most curable cancers. It typically has a better outlook than non-Hodgkins lymphoma. However, many factors can affect your outlook, such as: your age.

It can be easy to be confused by Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). These two diseases may sound similar, but these cancers have distinct differences.

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Facts you should know about Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
How are Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) different?
What are the statistics on Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Treatment
What are the risk factors for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
What are the signs and symptoms of Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
What are the treatments for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
What are the prognoses for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
Health News
Is it better to have Hodgkin's or non
Which lymphoma has better prognosis?
What is the life expectancy with non

Both originate in a type of white blood cell in your immune system known as a lymphocyte. Lymphocytes help your immune system remain strong by protecting your body from germs. When your doctor says you have a weakened immune system that means there aren’t enough white blood cells in your bloodstream to help keep you healthy.

Lymphomas are caused by cancerous lymphocytes. Hodgkin lymphoma and NHL are two main types of lymphoma. While both cancers develop in your immune system, the primary difference in the lymphomas is the presence of a specific abnormal cell found in the biopsy.

Your doctor can tell the type of lymphoma you have by using a microscope to look for Reed-Sternberg cells. Reed-Sternberg cells appear in people with Hodgkin lymphoma, and the number of these cells increase as the disease advances. NHL does not feature Reed-Sternberg cells.

Both diseases are relatively rare, but non-Hodgkin lymphoma is far more common overall, and there are more than 60 distinct types of NHL.

Are the symptoms of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma different?

Though the symptoms of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be difficult to detect, both diseases include painless swelling of lymph nodes that can be found anywhere in your body. Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to begin in lymph nodes in your upper body, such as your neck, underarms and chest. Both types of lymphoma may also be associated with other symptoms like extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, fevers and night sweats.

Who is at risk for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma?

Age is the most common type of risk factor between Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The average age of someone who is diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 60, while most Hodgkin lymphomas occur in people ages 15 to 24, or over 60.

What are the treatment options for both lymphomas?

The type of lymphoma, its location and extent in the body determines your prognosis and treatment options. Many people treated for both lymphomas receive some form of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted drug therapy, or a combination of them all. Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation may also be done under special circumstances.

What is the prognosis like for each?

Hodgkin lymphoma is considered one of the most treatable cancers, with more than 90 percent of patients surviving more than five years. Most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma live long and healthy lives following successful treatment.

Although slow growing forms of NHL are currently not curable, the prognosis is still good. In certain patients, treatment may not be necessary until there are signs of progression.

Are research studies ongoing?

Researchers continue to discover more about how lymphoma begins, as well as other treatment options. Clinical trials are underway to find better ways of reducing symptoms and side effects of both lymphomas.

Learn more about cancer care at Edward-Elmhurst Health.

Related blogs

Why are swollen lymph nodes a problem?

Facts
- Facts you should know about Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
Differences
- How are Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) different?
Statistics
- What are the statistics on Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
Risk Factors
- What are the risk factors for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
Symptoms & Signs
- What are the signs and symptoms of Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
Treatment
- What are the treatments for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
Prognosis
- What are the prognoses for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?
Related Resources
- Related Resources - Hodgkin's vs. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Comments
- Patient Comments: Hodgkin's Disease and NHL - Treatment
- Patient Comments: Hodgkin's Disease and NHL - Symptoms
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- Find a local Oncologist in your town

Facts you should know about Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more common than Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Both Hodgkin's disease (sometimes referred to as Hodgkin's lymphoma) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are cancers that originate in a type of white blood cell known as a lymphocyte, an important component of the body's immune system.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more common than Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Physicians distinguish the lymphomas by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells, which are absent in Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Reed-Sternberg cells are giant cells present in the lymph fluid that are

How are Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) different?

Both of these malignancies may cause similar symptoms, but the conditions themselves are different. The distinction between Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is made upon examination of the cancer cells (from a biopsy or aspiration of the tumor tissue). The type of abnormal cells identified in the sample determines whether lymphoma is classified as Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

What are the statistics on Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?

Two types of Hodgkin's lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is much more common than Hodgkin's disease.
In the United States, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the sixth most common cancer among males and females. Furthermore, the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been steadily increasing over the last decades.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is actually a heterogeneous group of over 30 types of cancers with differences in the microscopic appearance and biological characterization of the malignant lymphocytes.
The different types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma also have differences in their biologic behavior (such as the tendency to grow aggressively) that affect a patient's overall outlook (prognosis). The specific type of NHL also affects treatment planning.

Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hodgkin's disease is much less common than non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and accounts for only about 1% of all cancers in the U.S.
The incidence of this cancer has actually been declining in recent years, in contrast to the increases in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease is confirmed by visualizing tissue samples using a microscope.
When a biopsy from cancer contains a certain type of cell termed a Reed-Sternberg cell, the lymphoma is classified as Hodgkin's disease.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Treatment

A doctor will usually refer a patient to an oncologist for evaluation and treatment. Some large academic medical centers have oncologists who specialize in lymphomas.

The treatment plan depends mainly on the following:

The type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Its stage (where the lymphoma is found)
How quickly the cancer is growing
The patient's age
Whether the patient has other health problems
If there are symptoms present such as fever and night sweats

What are the risk factors for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?

Both Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can occur in people of any age.

Both Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can occur in people of any age, but the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma increases with age, with most patients being diagnosed in their 60s.
Hodgkin's disease occurs most commonly in two distinct age groups:
- younger people between 15 and 40 years of age (most commonly in the age range of 20 to 30) and
- people who are 55 or older at the time of diagnosis.

What are the signs and symptoms of Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?

The symptoms of both types of lymphoma include

painless swelling of involved lymph nodes, and
further symptoms are dependent upon the location and extent (spread) of cancer.
Hodgkin's lymphomas are more likely to begin in lymph nodes in the upper body (such as in the neck, underarms, or chest), but both types of lymphoma can be found anywhere in the body.
Both types of lymphoma may also be associated with general symptoms of weight loss, fevers, and night sweats, although there are many other causes for these nonspecific symptoms.

What are the treatments for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?

The prognosis and treatment of all lymphomas is highly dependent upon the exact type and characterization of malignant lymphocytes; the growth characteristics and location of a particular tumor; the extent to which the tumor has already spread at the time of diagnosis; and the age and overall health status of the patient. Both radiation therapy and various chemotherapy drugs have been used with success in the treatment of both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Newer treatments are developing for certain types of lymphomas including treatments using biologic medications -- such as antibodies that target certain lymphocytes called B cells, and stem cell transplantation.

QUESTION

Cancer is the result of the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in the body. See Answer

What are the prognoses for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)?

Hodgkin's disease survival rates

Hodgkin's disease is one of the most curable types of cancer, with 5-year survival rates that have steadily increased to about 88% from 2004 to 2010.
This rate is even higher (about 94%) in people under age 45 at the time of diagnosis.

Non-Hodgkin's disease survival rates

The prognosis for NHL varies according to the specific type of lymphoma and the extent of the spread of the disease (stage).
The 5-year survival rate overall for all patients with NHL was about 72% from 2004 to 2010.

Health News

Medically Reviewed on 11/10/2020

References

"Cancer Facts & Figures." American Cancer Society.

"Facts and Statistics." Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Is it better to have Hodgkin's or non

Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of the most curable cancers. It typically has a better outlook than non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, many factors can affect your outlook, such as: your age.

Which lymphoma has better prognosis?

What is the life expectancy with non

The overall 5-year survival rate for people with NHL in the United States is 73%. For stage I NHL, the 5-year survival rate is more than 84%. For stage II the 5-year survival rate is 77%, and for stage III it is more than 71%. For stage IV NHL, the 5-year survival rate is almost 64%.