The short answer
Lymphoma has two main types. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the more common type, SEER reports 74.3% five-year relative survival overall, ranging from 87.6% at stage I to 63.6% at stage IV. Hodgkin lymphoma, using American Cancer Society figures based on SEER data, has an even higher survival, around 89% for all stages combined.
A survival statistic describes a large group diagnosed years ago — not a prediction for any one person.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma's overall five-year relative survival, diagnosed 2016–2022, was 74.3%, ranging from 87.6% at stage I to 63.6% at stage IV.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a separate disease with separate figures, generally more favourable, and is not included in the non-Hodgkin numbers above.
In lymphoma, the exact subtype and its prognostic index usually say more about outlook than the stage number does.
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The full explanation.
Before you look at the numbers
Three things are true about the numbers below. Please read all three before you look at a single lymphoma percentage.
First, a "5-year relative survival rate" for lymphoma describes a large group of people. Those people were diagnosed with lymphoma years ago. It is not a prediction about you. Everyone's lymphoma, body, and treatment plan are different.
Second, this data lags behind today's care. These figures reflect people diagnosed with lymphoma between 2016 and 2022. Newer treatments, including CAR T-cell therapy for some lymphoma subtypes, have become available since then. So lymphoma treatment today may already work better than these numbers suggest.
Third, an all-stages lymphoma number blends two very different groups. It mixes people whose lymphoma was found early. It also counts people whose lymphoma had already spread. The stage-specific numbers below break that blend apart a little. But stage carries less weight in lymphoma than it does in a solid tumour. Stage IV here means the disease is in more than one place in a system that runs through the whole body, which it often is at diagnosis and which is frequently still treatable with intent to cure. What the pathologist calls your subtype, and where you land on the prognostic index used for that subtype, will tell you more than stage does. And "5-year" is just a measuring window, not a lymphoma milestone. It is not a life expectancy for anyone with lymphoma. It is not a deadline either.
The SEER numbers for lymphoma
SEER's most recent report covers people diagnosed between 2016 and 2022 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the more common form of lymphoma. Across every stage combined, the five-year relative survival rate was 74.3%. Lymphoma is staged using the Ann Arbor system, stages I through IV. The stage depends on how many lymph node areas are involved, and on whether the disease has spread beyond the lymph system.
These stage-specific figures cover the same years but come from a smaller group of registries (SEER 17) than the overall figure above. They also blend dozens of subtypes together. A stage IV follicular lymphoma and a stage IV aggressive B-cell lymphoma sit in the same row here and behave nothing alike, so treat the row as background rather than as your outlook.
| Stage at diagnosis | 5-year relative survival |
|---|---|
| Stage I | 87.6% |
| Stage II | 79.7% |
| Stage III | 74.0% |
| Stage IV | 63.6% |
| Unknown/unstaged | 71.9% |
What "relative survival" actually means
Relative survival compares two groups. One group has lymphoma. The other group is the same age and sex, but has no lymphoma. Say the rate is 100%. That would mean the lymphoma group was as likely to reach 5 years as the other. It is not the share of people who are free of lymphoma. It is not the share of people who die from lymphoma itself.
Hodgkin lymphoma is less common than non-Hodgkin lymphoma. As a group, it has an even more favorable outlook. The American Cancer Society uses SEER data for people diagnosed between 2015 and 2021. It reports Hodgkin lymphoma five-year relative survival of about 89% for all stages combined. SEER's own Hodgkin lymphoma page, covering people diagnosed between 2016 and 2022, gives almost the same figure: 89.3%. Survival stays relatively high even at more advanced stages. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is really a group of dozens of subtypes. They run from slow-growing (indolent) types like follicular lymphoma to fast-growing types like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The two ends are treated very differently.
What actually changes your outlook
A statistic describes a group. Your outlook depends on things specific to you.
- Stage — how far the lymphoma has spread, as shown in the table above.
- Grade — how odd the lymphoma cells look, and how fast they tend to grow.
- Lymphoma subtype — diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma each have different outlooks and treatments.
- Growth pattern — indolent (slow-growing) versus aggressive (fast-growing) lymphoma are approached differently, even at the same stage.
- How your lymphoma responds — early scans and labs often say more than the first numbers.
- Your overall health — other health problems, age, and fitness shape lymphoma treatment and recovery.
- Access to care — a quick lymphoma diagnosis, specialist care, and finishing treatment all matter.
Questions for your care team
- Which SEER stage describes my lymphoma, and what is its five-year number?
- Which biomarkers or molecular tests matter in lymphoma, and were they run on my sample?
- How do my age and overall health change these lymphoma statistics for me?
- Are there newer lymphoma treatments available now that this data doesn't reflect yet?
- Beyond the general lymphoma statistics, what does my team expect in my case?
- Where can I find support for how it feels to hear these lymphoma numbers?
- What specific lymphoma subtype and Ann Arbor stage do I have, and is it considered indolent or aggressive?
If these numbers are hard to sit with
Lymphoma numbers can leave you scared, numb, or overwhelmed. That is normal. It does not mean you are handling a lymphoma diagnosis the wrong way. Many people take these lymphoma numbers in slowly, or with someone in the room. Others skip the numbers until they feel ready. Cancer Anxiety and Uncertainty covers the fear these lymphoma numbers can stir up. It is also worth telling your lymphoma team how much detail you want, and when.
Sources
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
What's the difference between Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
Both start in the lymph system, but they involve different cell types and are diagnosed by looking at the cells under a microscope. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common and includes many subtypes with different outlooks; Hodgkin lymphoma is less common and, as a group, has a very favorable outlook.
Why does this page use Ann Arbor stages (I–IV) instead of localized/regional/distant?
SEER's own lymphoma data is organized by Ann Arbor stage, the clinical staging system used for lymphoma, rather than the localized/regional/distant categories used for most other cancers. This system is more familiar to lymphoma specialists and better matches how lymphoma is actually staged and treated.
Does this number predict what will happen to me?
No. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma alone includes dozens of subtypes, some slow-growing and some fast-growing, with very different outlooks and treatment approaches. Your specific lymphoma subtype, stage, and how it responds to treatment matter far more than a blended statistic.
Is this the most current data available?
It is the most recent SEER data available, but it still reflects people diagnosed between 2016 and 2022. Newer immunotherapy and cell-based treatments for lymphoma have continued to develop since then.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Last updated: 2026-08-19Next planned review: 2027-08-03
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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