This type of cancer begins in the cells in the lymphatic system. The tonsils and the base of the tongue are made up of lymph tissue that develop into cancer. There are also many lymph nodes found in the neck. The most common sign of lymphoma is a painless swelling of the lymph node. Lymphoma cancer can start in the lymph glands and in the other organs of the lymphatic system. There are many different types of lymphoma and treatments would depend on the type.

Some types of lymphatic cancers

1. Hodgkin’s lymphoma
This type of cancer develops in the white blood cells (WBCs) known as lymphocytes. Hodgkin lymphoma contains cells that are called Reed-Sternberg cells. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified a Hodgkin Lymphoma into two groups.

• Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  This type of oral cancer is the most common form and is found in about 60% of Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases. Research says that there are four types of lymphoma and they all contain abnormal cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. Here, these cells are a type of white blood cells (B lymphocytes) that become cancerous. The four subtypes are nodular sclerosing, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte-rich, and lymphocyte depleted.
• Nodular lymphocyte-predominant type
  Only around 10% of Hodgkin’s lymphoma belong to this sub-type. The main difference between this type and classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma is that very few Reed-Sternberg cells are present in nodular lymphocyte predominant type. There could also be the presence of the abnormal cells known as popcorn cells. This type of lymphoma is usually found in only one group of lymph nodes when diagnosed (localized disease). It is also slower than the progression of classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is most commonly found in older people but can also occur in young adults.

2. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. There are more than 60 different kinds of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This type of cancer is graded based on several different factors.

• Low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  This is known as indolent lymphomas. Low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma usually tends to grow very slowly. The most common type of low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma I is follicular lymphoma. The other types would include mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL), and Skin lymphoma. Low-grade lymphoma may change into high-grade lymphoma with time.
• High-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  High-grade NHL is also called aggressive lymphoma and is divided into two groups depending on the growth rate and its speed. They are either low grade or high grade. The most common type of high-grade NHL is Burkitt lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A few rare types of high-grade NHL are lymphoblastic lymphoma (LL), blastic NK cell lymphoma, enteropathy associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL), hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, and treatment-related T cell lymphoma.

75 – 90% of cases will survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis. Even if it comes back, it can be treated successfully. Treatment can often keep it under control for long periods, even for years at a time.