Lymphoma is a common type of blood cancer that affects lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells. In this disease, a tumor develops because of the high and uncontrolled growth of lymphoma. Since the lymphatic system is present throughout the body, tumors can occur anywhere. There are two main types of lymphoma, called Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These are further divided into many subcategories. Let’s take a look at them:

Hodgkin lymphoma types

The presence of Reed-Sternberg cells distinguishes Hodgkin lymphoma. It has five sub-types:

• Nodular Sclerosis
  This may cause fibrous scars in lymph nodes and is the most common type of Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Mixed cellularity
  It usually affects the abdomen area and is found in about 15-20 percent of patients.
• Lymphocyte-rich
  This is a rare subtype of Hodgkin lymphoma. Cancerous cells are found in more than a few lymph nodes and occur in the upper half of the body.
• Lymphocyte-depleted
  It is seen in the abdomen, spleen, liver, and bone marrow. It attacks different organs of the body and is commonly seen in HIV infected patients.
• Nodular Lymphocyte-predominant
  It is detected by the presence of lobular versions of Reed-Sternberg cells that resemble the shape of popcorns.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma types
There are several subtypes of NHL and categorized mainly under B Cell Lymphoma and T Cell Lymphoma. Some of the main subtypes are:

B Cells

• Diffuse large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
  This is an aggressive type of Non-hodgkin lymphoma and may spread quickly. DLBCL may be found in lymph nodes, gastrointestinal tract, testicles, breasts and brain.
• Follicular Lymphoma

The disease is most often found in the bone marrow or lymph nodes. It affects middle-aged and older adults.

• Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL)
  This slow-growing disease is commonly found in the lymph nodes, spleen and bone marrow. MCL may cause lymph nodes to swell, and may spread to the blood or gastrointestinal tract.
• Marginal Zone Lymphomas (MZL)
  It is a slow-spreading form of lymphoma that develops in mature B cells circulating in the spleen.
• Burkitt lymphoma
  This is the most aggressive form of lymphoma. It may be associated with viral infections such as HIV and the Epstein-Barr virus. This condition can be fatal, if left untreated.
• Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL)
  Also known as Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, this rare cancer occurs in the bone marrow. This condition generally affects older adults.

T Cells

• Adult T-Cell Lymphoma (ATLL)
  This aggressive type of NHL is found circulating in the bloodstream and commonly affects HTLV-infection-1 patients.
• Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL)
  This one mostly affects skin, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal tracts.
• Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL)
  It has two subtypes known as Sezary syndrome and Mycosis fungoides that affect skin, blood, and lymph nodes.
• T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (T-ALL)
  This aggressive cancer affects the mediastinal area, and lungs and can sometimes spread to the central nervous system.
• Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma (PTCL)
  This aggressive and rare cancer is found in about 25 percent cases of lymphoma. Some common types are:
  – Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) – typically found in the spleen and/or liver
  – Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) – found in skin, lymph nodes and organs
  – Enteropathy-type T-cell lymphoma (EATL) – develops in the lining of the intestines
  – Hepatosplenic gamma/delta T-cell lymphoma – forms in the spleen.