Signs and symptoms
What are the symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Most children have stage III or IV disease at the time of diagnosis because of the sudden onset of symptoms. The disease can progress quickly from a few days to a few weeks. A child can go from otherwise healthy to having multi-system involvement in a short time period.
Some children with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have symptoms of an abdominal mass and have complaints of abdominal pain, fever, constipation and decreased appetite — due to the pressure and obstruction a large tumor in this area can cause.
Some children with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have symptoms of a mass in their chest and have complaints of respiratory problems, pain with deep breaths (dyspnea), cough and/or wheezing.
Because of the rapid onset of this malignancy, any respiratory symptoms can quickly worsen, causing a life-threatening emergency.
The following are the most common symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; however, each child may experience the symptoms differently:
- Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in neck, chest, abdomen, underarm or groin.
- Fever.
- Sore throat.
- Fullness in groin area from node involvement.
- Bone and joint pain.
- Night sweats.
- Tiring easily (fatigue).
- Weight loss/decreased appetite.
- Itching of the skin.
- Recurring infections.
The symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma may resemble other blood disorders or medical problems. Always consult your child’s physician for a diagnosis.
