What is Heriditery Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma?

Hello Anon

Thank you for writing.

Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system drains excess fluid from the tissues. It also helps protect against infections.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a general name. It applies to many types of lymphomas. There are several different types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They are based on the cell type that is involved and the patterns of growth. Treatment will vary according to type.

In general, these different types can be divided into two main groups:

Indolent (or slow growing) lymphomas
Aggressive lymphomas
These cancers are different from Hodgkin’s lymphoma .

Cancer occurs when cells in the body divide out of control or order. If cells keep dividing, a mass of tissue forms. These are called growths or tumors. If the tumor is malignant, it is cancer. They can invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

The cause of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is often unknown. Mutations in DNA that occur after birth may be related to this cancer. These mutations can occur as a result of exposure to radiation or cancer causing chemicals. It may also occur with age or for no apparent reason.

Risk Factors
Most people who develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have no known risk factors, but the following factors may increase your chance of developing this condition:

Sex: male
Age: 60 to 70 years old
Frequent and accumulating exposure to certain types of chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, benzene)
Infections involving the immune system, such as HIV/AIDS and Epstein-Barr virus
History of chemotherapy or radiation therapy
Chromosomal translocations (DNA breaks off one chromosome and becomes attached to another)
Celiac disease (gluten enteropathy or gluten intolerance)
Obesity

Most NHL is due to gene changes that happen in the body over time but some people inherit DNA mutations from a parent that increase their risk for certain kinds of cancer. If a person has a family history of lymphoma (Hodgkin Lymphoma, Non Hodgkin Lymphoma, CLL) then there can be an increased risk of lymphoma.

Best
Susan