If Hodgkin lymphoma spreads

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cells can spread from the lymph nodes where the cancer started to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. HL usually spreads in a predictable way, starting with the closest lymph nodes. This is different from non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), which doesn’t spread in a predictable way.

If HL spreads, it can spread to the following:

other groups of lymph nodes
spleen
liver
lungs and pleura
bone marrow
bones
skin

American Cancer Society. Hodgkin Disease. 2014: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/hodgkindisease/detailedguide/index.
BC Cancer Agency. Hodgkin Lymphoma. BC Cancer Agency;
Bradley W Lash. Hodgkin Lymphoma. 2015: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/201886-overview#showall.
National Cancer Institute. Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment for Health Professionals (PDQ®). 2015: http://www.cancer.gov/.
Younes A, Carbone A, Johnson P, Dabaja B, Ansell S, Kuruvilla J . Hodgkin's lymphoma. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, & Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 102: 1526-1551.