Hodgkin Lymphoma

Risk Factors

• Age – Anyone can be diagnosed with Hodgkin disease, but most common in early adulthood (ages 15 to 40, especially in a person’s 20s) and in late adulthood (after age 55).
• Gender – Occurs slightly more often in males.
• Geography – Hodgkin disease is most common in the United States, Canada, and northern Europe.
• Family History – Brothers and sisters of young people wit hthis disease have a higher risk for Hodgkin disease. The risk is very high for an identical twin of a person with Hodgkin disease.
• Socioeconomic Status – The risk of hodgkin disease is greater in people with a higher socioeconomic background.
• Epstein-Barr Virus infection / mononucleosis – People who have had infectious mononucleosis (sometimes called mono for short), an infectino caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), have an increased risk.
• HIV Infection – The risk of Hodgkin disease is increased in people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

These signs and symptoms can also be caused by conditions other than hodgkin lymphoma cancer. Most people with Hodgkin disease see their doctor because they have felt a lump thathasn’t goine away, they have some of the other symptoms listed, or they just don’t feel well and go in for a checkup. If a person has signs or symptoms that suggest Hodgkin disease, exams and tests are done to find out for sure and, if so, to determin the exact type. If it is cancer, ignoring symptoms may allow it to progress to a more advanced stage and lower your chance for effective treatment.

Early Detection Saves Lives!

This information was provided by the American Cancer Society. © 2013 American Cancer Society, Inc. All rights reserved. The American Cancer Society is a qualified 501[c][3] tax-exempt organization. www.cancer.org