Symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma

The most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling in one or more lymph nodes . This can be in any area of the body, but the most common areas are the:

• neck

• armpit

• groin

Lymph nodes commonly swell if we have an infection but they usually go back to normal over a short time. With lymphoma, the lymph nodes often grow slowly and may be there for months or years before they're noticed. But sometimes they grow very quickly.

Usually, the swollen nodes don't hurt. But some people say their lumps ache or are painful. And for some they are painful after drinking alcohol. 

General symptoms

You might have other symptoms such as:

• heavy sweating, especially at night

• high temperatures that come and go with no obvious cause, often overnight

• losing a lot of weight over a short period of time, despite eating well

• itching, which may be worse after drinking alcohol

• persistent cough or shortness of breath

• pain in your tummy (abdomen) or lymph nodes after drinking alcohol

Your doctor might call some of these symptoms B symptoms.

Less common symptoms

Other symptoms will depend on where in your body the Hodgkin lymphoma is.

Swollen lymph nodes can:

• press on nerves and cause pain

• cause swelling in arms or legs. This is called oedema

• cause yellowing of the skin and eyes. This is jaundice

• cause small lumps or ulcers on your skin, usually near the swollen lymph nodes

Hodgkin lymphoma in the bone marrow

Around 5 out of 100 people (around 5%) with Hodgkin lymphoma have lymphoma cells in their bone marrow. The bone marrow is a spongy substance that fills the bones and contains early cells called stem cells. Hodgkin lymphoma in the bone marrow can cause symptoms such as:

• shortness of breath and tiredness due to low levels of red blood cells (anaemia)
• increased risk of infections due to low levels of white blood cells
• low levels of platelets that can cause nosebleeds, very heavy periods, or a rash of tiny blood spots under the skin