15 September 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : World Lymphoma Awareness Day 2026 is observed on September 15 to raise awareness about lymphoma, a group of cancers that affect the lymphatic system. The day focuses on recognising warning signs, understanding different types of lymphoma and encouraging timely medical evaluation.
Lymphoma develops when certain lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, begin growing abnormally and uncontrollably. Because lymphocytes are part of the immune system and are found throughout the body, lymphoma can affect lymph nodes and other organs.
What Is Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which forms an important part of the body’s immune and fluid-balance systems.
The lymphatic system includes lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, the spleen, thymus and bone marrow. Lymphocytes normally help the body fight infections. In lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes multiply and can accumulate in lymph nodes or other tissues.
Lymphoma is broadly divided into Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, although non-Hodgkin lymphoma itself includes many different diseases.
Main Types of Lymphoma
The two broad categories are:
Hodgkin lymphoma: This cancer is characterised by the presence of abnormal Reed-Sternberg cells. It can occur at any age but is particularly common among younger adults and older people.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: This is a large and diverse group of lymphoid cancers. It can develop from B cells, T cells or, less commonly, natural killer cells. Some forms grow slowly, while others can progress rapidly.
The exact type and subtype are important because treatment and prognosis can vary considerably.
Common Symptoms of Lymphoma
Symptoms can differ depending on the type of lymphoma and where it develops.
Common warning signs include:
- Painless swelling of lymph nodes, particularly in the neck, armpit or groin.
- Persistent or unexplained fever.
- Night sweats that may soak clothing or bedding.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Persistent fatigue or weakness.
- Frequent or recurrent infections.
- Itching without an obvious cause.
- Shortness of breath or cough when enlarged lymph nodes affect the chest.
- Abdominal swelling or discomfort when organs such as the spleen are affected.
These symptoms do not necessarily mean a person has lymphoma. Infections and several other conditions can cause similar problems.
What Causes Lymphoma?
In most cases, the exact cause of lymphoma is not known.
Cancer develops when genetic changes cause lymphocytes to grow or survive abnormally. Several factors can increase the likelihood of developing certain types of lymphoma, but having a risk factor does not mean that a person will definitely develop the disease.
Some forms are associated with immune-system problems, certain infections, autoimmune conditions, inherited susceptibility and previous cancer treatment.
Risk Factors
Risk factors can vary between lymphoma subtypes.
They may include:
- Older age for some forms of lymphoma.
- A weakened immune system.
- Certain autoimmune diseases.
- Some viral or bacterial infections.
- Family history of lymphoma.
- Previous chemotherapy or radiation treatment for another cancer.
However, many people diagnosed with lymphoma have no obvious risk factor.
How Is Lymphoma Diagnosed?
A doctor may begin with a physical examination and medical history, particularly checking for enlarged lymph nodes.
If lymphoma is suspected, investigations may include blood tests, imaging scans such as CT, PET or MRI, and other examinations depending on the suspected disease.
A lymph-node biopsy is often essential because laboratory examination of tissue is needed to determine whether lymphoma is present and identify its specific type.
Additional tests can help doctors establish the stage of the disease and select an appropriate treatment plan.
Lymphoma Stages
Doctors commonly describe lymphoma using stages that indicate how extensively the disease has spread.
The staging process may consider whether lymphoma is limited to one area, involves multiple lymph-node regions, has spread to organs outside the lymphatic system or affects particular organs.
Staging is important because treatment decisions depend not only on the type of lymphoma but also on its extent and biological characteristics.