What Causes Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma?

In order to deal properly with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors. We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to develop?"

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Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind non-Hodgkin's lymphoma consists of three steps:

Step 1: List the Possible Causative Factors

Identify all disease conditions, lifestyle choices and environmental risk factors that can lead to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Here are five possibilities:

HIV/AIDS
Psoriasis
Weakened Immune System
Cigarette Smoke Damage
Epstein-Barr Virus

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

Identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

heavily coated tongue

poor bodily coordination

recent onset nausea

psoriasis

grooves across fingernails

recent productive cough

recent heavy tobacco smoking

slightly elevated eosinophil count

severe emotional instability

genital sores

much reduced sense of smell

resolved atypical recent headaches

... and more than 60 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma:

Cause	Probability	Status
Cigarette Smoke Damage	96%	Confirm
Epstein-Barr Virus	21%	Unlikely
Psoriasis	3%	Ruled out
Weakened Immune System	0%	Ruled out
HIV/AIDS	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate cancer, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Have you suffered from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)?

Possible responses:

→ No / don't know
→ Yes but now resolved for over 5 years
→ Yes but now resolved for under 5 years
→ Current problem but containable
→ Current problem and aggressive/spreading

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either history of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

HIV/AIDS

People with HIV have a weakened immune system and, as a result, are more likely to develop certain cancers. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas are the second-most common type of malignancy after Kaposi's Sarcoma in HIV patients.

Cigarette Smoke Damage

One study has found that, compared to men who had never smoked, men who had smoked had an elevated mortality rate for non-Hodgkin's, with a risk almost four-fold greater among the heaviest smokers.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) and Epstein-Barr virus are two infectious agents that increase the chance of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Psoriasis

People who suffer from the skin disease psoriasis are at an increased risk for cancer, according to a study ending in 2003 that involved 108,000 patients. Specifically, study authors found that patients with psoriasis had a nearly three-fold increased rate of lymphoma.

Previous research had found an association between psoriasis and lymphoma. Doctors from the University of Pennsylvania studied whether the rate of lymphoma in patients with a history of psoriasis is different from the rate of lymphoma in patients without psoriasis. After reviewing records, researchers found all the patients with psoriasis who had lymphoma were treated with medications consistent with psoriasis treatment.

While researchers concluded that there is an association between psoriasis and lymphoma, they felt additional research needed to be done to determine if this association is related to psoriasis severity, psoriasis treatment or an interaction between these risk factors. [Archives of Dermatology, 2003;139: pp.1425-9]

Weakened Immune System

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common among people with inherited immune deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, or HIV/AIDS, and among people taking immunosuppressant drugs following organ transplants.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™