Hodgkin lymphoma starts when an abnormal change to a white cell (called a lymphocyte) causes it to become a lymphoma cell.
- Lymphoma cells grow and form masses, usually in the lymph nodes, located throughout our bodies in the lymphatic system.
- Lymphoma cells can also gather in other areas of the body where lymphoid tissue is found.
Hodgkin lymphoma is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells (named for the scientists who first identified them). Other cells associated with the disease are called Hodgkin cells.