What is Hodgkin lymphoma?
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a cancer that starts in lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell. They are found in the bone marrow, blood and lymphatic system. They help protect the body against germs and abnormal cells, including cancer cells.
Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) starts in abnormal B cells called Hodgkin and
Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells. HRS cells are a lot bigger than normal B cells and have
1 or more large
Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) also starts in abnormal B cells, but they are different from HRS cells. The abnormal B cells in NLPHL are called lymphocyte-predominant (LP) cells. LP cells are sometimes called popcorn cells because they look large and puffy when viewed under a microscope. NLPHL is a very rare type of HL.
Another type of cancer that can start in lymphocytes is called non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The abnormal B cells of Hodgkin lymphoma look and behave differently from non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells. Hodgkin lymphomas and non-Hodgkin lymphomas are treated differently.
Hodgkin lymphoma starts in the
Types of Hodgkin lymphoma
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