Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Lymphoma starts when a type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte changes and grows out of control. Sometimes the disease is indolent and grows slowly, which may cause fewer symptoms. Sometimes it is aggressive and grows quickly. This matters for NHL treatment.

Learn about the common signs and symptoms of NHL and how different NHL subtypes may cause different symptoms because of how they affect your lymphocytes, blood, organs or other tissues.

Physicians group non-Hodgkin lymphoma into stages I (1) through IV (4). Learn more about each stage and why it matters in treatment planning.

To diagnose non-Hodgkin lymphoma, physicians take out a sample of tissue, often a lymph node or part of a lymph node, for testing. A hematopathologist checks the sample under a microscope for cancer cells. NHL is usually diagnosed through testing ordered by a patient’s primary care provider. Fred Hutch hematopathologists review pathology to confirm diagnosis and are experts in identifying NHL subtypes.

Different non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes start, grow and respond to treatments differently. Your Fred Hutch care team will tailor your treatment plan based on your NHL subtype, if it’s indolent or aggressive, the stage of the disease and other important factors, like your personal preferences.

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in NHL. Your care team includes a hematologist-oncologist, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs.

In recent decades, research into targeted therapies and immunotherapies has found new ways to control NHL. Physicians and researchers from Fred Hutch and UW Medicine continue to develop and test innovative treatment approaches like these.

Learn about risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Find expert NHL at Fred Hutch locations. Explore treatment options backed by compassionate, world-class oncology teams.