Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Doctors don't know exactly what causes it but it does seem some people may be more likely to develop it.


Anyone whose immune system is not working as well as it should be may be more likely to develop a lymphoma. So this would include someone taking anti-rejection drugs after an organ transplant.


People between the ages of 15 and 40, as well as those older than 55, are most at risk of Hodgkin's disease.


People who have had glandular fever (mononucleosis) may very slightly increased risk of getting Hodgkin's lymphoma later. The evidence is fairly weak but some doctors believe it can be a factor.


Hodgkin's lymphoma is nearly 100 times as likely in an identical twin of a diagnosed patient. This suggests a faulty gene is the cause in this case. But there is little evidence of a family history in most other cases. Studies in the US have found it’s slightly more common in white people than in black.


Basically there is no clear cause why people get Hodgkin's lymphoma and most people who develop it do not have any particular risk factor. It’s not due to anything a person did “wrong” and there’s not much we can do to avoid it, unlike smoking and lung cancer.


It is one of those cancers which researchers are working hard to understand and, in time, prevent/cure. And it is one of those cancers which has seen great improvements in treatments over the past thirty years.