The short answer
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph system, part of the body's germ-fighting network. In children it comes in two main groups: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. NCI lists lymphomas among the most common cancers in children and teens. Most children and teens with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph system, part of the body's immune defenses.
The two main groups are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Lymphoma is among the most common childhood cancers.
A common sign is a painless swelling of lymph nodes, such as in the neck.
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The simple version
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. This is the network of vessels and glands that helps your body fight infection. In children, doctors group lymphoma into two main kinds: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Both are treated with chemotherapy, sometimes with other treatments.
Signs of lymphoma to watch for in your child
The most common sign in both types is a swollen lymph node. It usually does not hurt, and it does not go away. This often shows up near the collarbone or in the neck, chest, underarm, stomach or groin. Other signs can include fever, drenching night sweats, weight loss, and tiredness. Some children get itchy skin. A lump in the chest can press on the airway. That can cause coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing.
Hodgkin lymphoma
Doctors confirm it with a lymph node biopsy. They look for a specific abnormal cell called a Reed-Sternberg cell. Treatment usually combines chemotherapy with radiation therapy for some children. The exact plan depends on the risk group: low, intermediate, or high. Most children and teens with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is not one disease. It is a group of several different lymphomas. The main types in children are aggressive mature B-cell lymphomas (such as Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma), lymphoblastic lymphoma, and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can spread to the bone marrow. It can also spread to the fluid around the brain and spinal cord. So doctors test both a bone marrow sample and a spinal fluid sample.
How doctors diagnose and stage it
A biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Doctors remove tissue from an enlarged lymph node or other affected area. They study it under a microscope. They also run extra lab tests, including tests for proteins on the cell surface. These tests pin down the exact type. Imaging tests — CT, PET, and MRI scans — show how far the lymphoma has spread. So do the bone marrow and spinal fluid tests. Together, this sets the stage, from I (one area) to IV (widespread, including bone marrow, brain, or spinal fluid).
How it is treated
Chemotherapy is the backbone of treatment for both types. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma, doctors choose the drug combination based on the exact subtype and stage. For Hodgkin lymphoma, chemotherapy is given, and radiation to the affected areas is added for some children.
Other treatments are used in some cases. These include targeted therapy and immunotherapy. For lymphoma that returns after treatment, doctors may use high-dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant. CAR T-cell therapy is another option for some relapsed cases. It reprograms a child's own immune cells to attack the cancer.
When to get help sooner
- Call 911 or go to an emergency department if your child has trouble breathing, wheezing, noisy or fast breathing, trouble swallowing, a swollen face, head or neck, or will only breathe comfortably sitting up. NCI notes a lymphoma in the chest can cause these signs.
- Call your child's care team right away, day or night, if your child's temperature reaches 100.4°F (38°C) or higher while on chemotherapy. The CDC says a fever during chemotherapy is a medical emergency. If you cannot reach the team quickly, take your child to an emergency department and say at the desk that they are having chemotherapy.
- Call 911 or go to an emergency department if your child is very drowsy, confused, or hard to rouse, is passing very little urine, or has a seizure.
- Call your care team right away if your child has sudden severe pain, a lymph node that is visibly growing day by day, or new drenching night sweats.
What to ask your child's team
- Which type of lymphoma does my child have, and what stage?
- Was a bone marrow or spinal fluid test part of the workup, and what did it show?
- What does the full treatment plan look like?
- Is a clinical trial open for my child?
- What side effects should we watch for at home, and who do we call after hours?
Sources
Common questions
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymph system, the network of vessels and nodes that helps fight infection. It is one of the most common childhood cancers.
What are the main types?
There are two main groups: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). They are treated differently, so an exact diagnosis matters.
What are the symptoms?
A common sign is painless swelling of lymph nodes, such as in the neck, armpit, or groin. Other signs can include fever, night sweats, tiredness, and weight loss.
How is it treated?
Treatment usually includes chemotherapy, sometimes with radiation therapy or targeted therapy, depending on the type and stage.
Can childhood lymphoma be cured?
NCI says most children and teens with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the outlook depends on the type and stage. Your child's team can explain the outlook for your child.
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Last updated: 2026-09-29Next planned review: 2027-07-07
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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, and this 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 then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. 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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