Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes, cells from the immune system that are important for making antibodies and fighting infection. Cancerous lymphocytes often accumulate in the lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow, but may grow in other sites as well.. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is the sixth most common cause of cancer and death due to cancer in the United States, and it affects people of all ages, race, and gender.

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is typically diagnosed with a biopsy. The term "Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma" includes more than 30 different types of lymphoma, with different behaviors and different prognoses. Most of these types are treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy, alone or in combination. A staging work-up often includes CT scans of the neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis, a bone marrow biopsy, and blood tests. Occasionally, a PET scan may be used to enhance the staging assessment.

Through research, treatments for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma have improved over the past 4 decades. Many new therapies are being studied at the University of Iowa and throughout the world. The University of Iowa — Mayo Clinic Lymphoma SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence), one of only 2 such programs in the nation, provides support for a number of novel research programs designed to study the effects of new therapies for lymphoma in the laboratory and in the clinic.

What You Need to Know about Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

National Cancer Institute Specialized Programs of Research Excellence

Clinical Trials for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center

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