Hematologic Malignancies Program

Patient and Family Education

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

What Is Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma? | Types of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma | Risk and Prevention | Symptoms and Diagnosis | Stages and Treatments | About the Clinical Trials | Greenebaum Cancer Center

Risk and Prevention

The American Cancer Society predicts that approximately 65,980 new cases of non-hodgkin's lymphoma were diagnosed in 2009. Approximately 19,500 people died as a result of this illness. More than 95 percent of these cases occurred in adults, but non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is also one of the more common childhood cancers. The disease affects more men than women and more white Americans than African Americans or Asian Americans. The risk of developing the disease increases with age.

The only known preventable risk factor for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and other infections that weaken the immune system. People with HIV have an increased risk for developing certain types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.


This page was last updated on: February 9, 2010.