What are the symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma?

Hodgkin lymphoma, also called Hodgkin disease, can have many different symptoms. These are the most common:

• Swollen lymph node or several nodes. These cause lumps under your skin and don't go away. They’re often the first symptom noticed. But swollen lymph nodes are most often caused by infection and are very common. Your healthcare provider may give you antibiotics to see if they make the nodes shrink. The most common areas for swelling are your groin, neck, shoulders (below and above the collarbone), and underarms. Usually, the swollen nodes don’t cause pain, or hurt to touch.

• Tiredness or weakness. You may feel weak or have severe tiredness that doesn't get better with rest.

• Cough, trouble breathing, or chest pain. These problems can be caused by enlarged lymph nodes in your chest that are pressing on your windpipe or trachea.

• Itchy skin. You may notice that you are always scratching your skin. This may happen even when you don’t seem to have a rash or other skin irritation. It may occur after drinking alcohol or bathing. If this is the case, tell your healthcare provider.

• Pain in your lymph nodes when drinking alcohol. Experts don’t know what causes this symptom, but it's linked with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Other symptoms may also occur. They're known as B symptoms:

• Weight loss. You lose more than 10% of your body weight over the 6 months before you're diagnosed.

• Fever. You may have fevers over 100.4°F (38°C) over a long period of time with no other signs of infection.

• Drenching night sweats. You may sweat to the point of soaking your clothes and bed sheets. These sweats often happen at night, but can happen at other times, too.

B symptoms can mean that the cancer is more likely to grow quickly. If you have B symptoms, you may need different kinds of treatment.

When to see your healthcare provider

Many of these symptoms can be caused by other health problems. But it’s important to see a healthcare provider if you have these symptoms. Only a healthcare provider can tell if you have cancer.