Lymphoma is usually divided into two major types, namely Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The major difference between these two types of lymphomas is the presence of a certain type of cancerous cells known as the Reed-Sternberg cells or the RS cells. The RS cells are known to be present in cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma whereas they are not present in the cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

It has been mentioned by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) that non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is usually 3 times more common than Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is further divided into many different types. This classification is done based on which cells are affected, whether the type of cancer is slow-growing or fast-growing. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma develops in either the T-cells or the B-cells which are present in the immune system.

The different types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are

T-cell Lymphoma
Around 15% of the cases of all the different non-Hodgkin lymphomas comprise this particular type of lymphoma. There are several types of T-cell lymphomas.

B-cell Lymphoma
This type of cancer is also known as Diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma or DLBCL. This type of lymphoma is known to be the most aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and in addition to that, this is also a fast-growing lymphoma. This arises from the presence of abnormal B-cells in the blood. The condition is curable and can be healed if treated immediately. However, if left untreated, the condition can easily lead to death. The prognosis of the condition depends largely on the stage at which the condition was found.

Burkitt’s Lymphoma
This type of lymphoma is comparatively rare. But once it affects individuals, it’s considered to be aggressive. The condition is usually known to affect people with a compromised immune system. This lymphoma is widely prevalent in the sub-Saharan countries of Africa. However, cases of this condition can also be seen in various other parts of the world.

Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Similar to Burkitt’s lymphoma, this condition is also rare and exists only in about 6% of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases. This type of lymphoma is known to be quite aggressive. It should be noted that it is also common for this condition to be noted in the later stages of the condition. It originates either in the bone marrow or the gastrointestinal tract.

Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
Unlike the previous types of lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) is a type of slow-growing lymphoma. The cancer cells born through this condition would more often than not be found in the lymph nodes. There are several similarities between small lymphocytic lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) with the major difference between them being the presence of cancer cells in bone marrow and blood in the case of small lymphocytic lymphoma.

Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma (Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia)
Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is one of the rarest of the different types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It contributes only 1% to 2% of all types of lymphomas. The condition is usually known to affect people of older ages. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a subtype of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and is the reason for the cause of abnormal production of antibodies.

By knowing about the different types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, one will have a better idea about what the diagnosis and treatment will be.