Symptoms and Signs of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Many people learn they have lymphoma after they or their primary care provider (PCP) notices signs or symptoms. Some people develop symptoms quickly and are diagnosed within days or weeks. For others, the disease develops slowly over months. Some people have no symptoms, but physicians find the disease during a routine visit or tests done for another reason.

Many of the signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) can be caused by other, less serious conditions. If you have any symptoms that concern you, let your PCP know. They can help you figure out the cause.

Take Charge of Your Health

Talk to your primary care provider if you have symptoms that you think may be non-Hodgkin lymphoma. UW Medicine Primary Care can help you get started. Learn about Fred Hutch's relationship with UW Medicine. 

Common Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms of NHL include:

  • Painless swollen lymph nodes
  • Unexplained fever, weight loss or night sweats
  • Lasting tiredness
  • Swelling, fullness, bloating or pain in your belly, or loss of appetite
  • Chest pain or a cough 
  • Itchy skin
  • Rashes or lumps on your skin

Certain subtypes may cause different symptoms because of how they affect your lymphocytes, blood, organs or other tissues.

  • Slow-growing (indolent) NHL tends to cause fewer symptoms
  • Fast-growing (aggressive) NHL can cause more severe symptoms

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma B Symptoms

Some people with NHL have a group of symptoms known as “B symptoms.” If you have these, this is important information for your care team. It helps them predict the outlook and design the right treatment for you.

NHL B symptoms are:

  • Fever
  • Drenching night sweats
  • Loss of 10% of your body weight or more in 6 months without trying

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms and Signs FAQ

Because there are so many subtypes of NHL, there’s no single answer to this question. Sometimes NHL develops slowly and doesn’t cause symptoms for weeks or months. Or it causes only a few, mild symptoms that may not worry you. You may not even have symptoms when you’re diagnosed. Instead, your physician might start to suspect there’s problem for other reasons, like finding enlarged lymph nodes during an exam.

If you have NHL, the most likely early symptom is one or more swollen but painless lymph nodes. This often happens in the neck, armpit or groin. It might happen in other parts of your body.

Your PCP will examine you and arrange tests, imaging scans or other procedures to find the cause. In an exam, your provider will ask about your symptoms, your health history and your family history. They’ll examine you to check for clues about what’s been bothering you. Your provider may order blood tests to get more information. Blood tests don’t diagnose lymphoma. But they may help your provider tell if another condition, like an infection, may be causing your symptoms. If your provider thinks you might have NHL — based on your symptoms, exam and any blood work — you may need a biopsy. A biopsy involves taking a tissue sample for testing. Learn about diagnosing NHL.

Medical tests can sometimes lead to either false-positive or false-negative results. In cancer diagnosis:

  • A false positive means the test suggests cancer is present when it really isn’t. If you get a false positive, it can cause anxiety and lead you to have more tests, which have their own risks.
  • A false negative means the test shows there’s no cancer even though there is. If you get a false negative, you might delay getting treatment. (Adapted from the National Cancer Institute.)

NHL can grow in or spread to different parts of the body. When it does, it may affect the stomach, intestines, spleen, skin, bones, lung, brain or other tissues and organs. The symptoms can vary based on the part of body. At Fred Hutch, we do more than treat your cancer. We also treat the ways cancer is affecting your body overall.