What does lymphoma mean?
Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, the network of organs, vessels, and cells that helps the body fight infection and drain excess tissue fluid. The most commonly recognized forms include Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Lymphoma may affect lymph nodes as well as organs such as the spleen, bone marrow, and other lymphoid tissues. The word is used mainly in medical contexts, but it has become familiar through public discussion of diagnosis, treatment, and survival. It is important to distinguish lymphoma from leukaemia: lymphoma concerns the lymphatic system, while leukaemia primarily involves blood-forming tissues. Although lymphoma can be serious, some forms respond well to treatment, and the term encompasses diseases with widely varying outlooks and treatment needs.
nounA type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, especially in the lymph nodes. The term refers to several related cancers with different origins, behaviors, and treatments.
- A malignant cancer originating in the lymphatic system, particularly the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, or other lymphoid tissues.
"She was diagnosed with lymphoma after a biopsy of an enlarged lymph node."
"The biopsy revealed a form of lymphoma that required specialist treatment."
"Researchers are testing a new therapy for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma."
The plural is used when referring to separate cases, types, or instances of lymphoma, as in “different lymphomas respond differently to treatment.”
"The clinic specializes in treating rare forms of lymphoma."
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, the network that helps the body fight infection and recycle fluids.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lymphoma come from?
The word lymphoma comes from Modern Latin, in which it was formed from Greek elements associated with lymph and swelling or tumor. The sense developed from an older, more general medical use involving swellings of the lymphatic glands into the modern sense of cancers arising in lymphatic tissue. Its related English words, including lymph, lymphatic, and lymphocyte, all share the Greek root for lymph or lymph nodes.
How lymphoma is actually used
In medical and general usage, lymphoma usually refers to a malignant disease. The term is commonly used in the established names Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma; in British English, it is sometimes spelled with an additional u in related terms, as in leukaemia, though lymphoma itself is normally written without the u.
Easily confused with lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, whereas leukaemia is a cancer of the blood-forming tissues and often affects the blood, bone marrow, and spleen.