Understanding Lymphoma
- College student Anna Sadowski, 22, is warning others not to ignore symptoms after her rashes, fatigue, and night sweats were dismissed for years before being diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma are the two most common types.
- When it comes to treating Hodgkin lymphoma, your doctor will tailor your treatment to the stage of your cancer, as well as other factors, such as how aggressive it is. Chemotherapy is generally part of the treatment at every stage. But in the early stages, radiation may be added, because stage I and II lymphomas tend to respond well to radiation.
- Treatment depends on the type of lymphoma you have and how advanced it is. Treatment options typically include chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant.
Sadowski, who often takes to TikTok to share updated on her cancer journey, admitted to ignoring the “warning signs” before being diagnosed in the fall of 2025—two years after her symptoms arose.
Read More“Number four, random like swelling in the face … I went to get tested for allergies and they said I had no allergies. So I just thought it was stress. Again, these were all just my symptoms. I’m not a doctor, but I hope this helps someone.”
Further sharing her story to Kennedy News & Media, as per People, Sadowski said her symptoms started up in spring 2023, explaining, “I started getting a lot of hives all over my back and lip swelling.”
After noting how she felt “super itchy,” she ignored her discomfort as she had an “insane workload” with school, part-time work, graduation prep, going to class, tutoring, and club involvement.
@annaasadowski Cancer warning signs that I ignored!! Reminder to keep pushing your doctor if you think something is wrong🤍 I’m also not a doctor, these were just my experiences!! #hodgkinslymphomaawareness #hodgkinlymphoma #cancerawareness #cancerjourney #greenscreen
Sadowski, who dubs herself a “go-getter” who often strives to do too much, said she decided to seek medical help when her symptoms worsened—she also had “feverish chills” and a cough.
By October 2025, an emergency room visit led to a 10cm “grapefruit”-sized mass on her chest. She received her diagnosis of stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma one month later and has been undergoing chemotherapy ever since.
Reflecting on the tests that led to her diagnosis, Sadowski shared on TikTok that a mass was first detected during an X-ray, which was then followed by multiple biopsies, CT scans, and PET scans.
“Imaging plays a very important role in management of patients with lymphoma,” Dr. Jakub Svoboda, medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.
“And the most advanced technology we’ve been using for the past 10-plus years is PET/CT scans.”
What is a PET/CT Scan?
PET stands for “positron emission tomography.” It’s a type of nuclear imaging scan that uses small (and safe) amounts of a radioactive material called a radiotracer and a computer to look for cancer inside your body. One commonly used radiotracer is F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose, or FDG, which is similar to glucose (sugar). The tracer collects in the cancer, making it show up on a computer screen.
Because a PET scan can identify changes in your body at the molecular level, it can find cancer that’s not visible on other types of imaging tests. That gives PET scans “advantages over traditional anatomic imaging like CT scans, x-rays, or ultrasounds,” Dr. Svoboda says.
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CT is short for “computed tomography.” It takes a series of x-rays from different angles and combines them using a computer into three-dimensional cross-sectional images of your bones and other tissues inside your body.
A PET/CT scan combines both of these tests into one machine to streamline the process. “Basically you’re getting two scans two for one,” Dr. Svoboda says.
Having a PET/CT Scan? Here’s What to Expect
The advantage to a PET/CT scan is that your doctor will not only be able to see your organs and tissues, for example whether your spleen or lymph nodes are enlarged, but also areas of cancer, Dr. Svoboda says. Cancer cells are more metabolically active hungrier than healthy cells — so they gobble up glucose and light up on the scan.
A radiologist or other nuclear medicine specialist will read your scan and send a report to your doctor. Once your results are in, ask your doctor what they mean, how your treatment might change, and what outlook you can expect.
@annaasadowski I had cancer for 1-2 years and had no idea. Reminder if you have a gut feeling, go to the doctor!!!🤍🤍🤍 (I was extremely healthy: working out everyday and eating clean foods) #hodgkinlymphoma #hodgkinslymphomaawareness #cancerawareness #cancer
What is Hodgkin Lymphoma?
RELATED: Related: 7 Sneaky Symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma
Lymphomas are a type of blood cancer that begin in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. They are separated into two categories: Hodgkin Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma being the more common type.
Hodgkin Lymphoma usually starts in a part of the lymph system called B cells, which make proteins called antibodies that help protect the body from germs. With those cells compromised, it’s more difficult to protect your body from germs may may increase the risk of infections.
The disease predominantly is diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 to 40, and over 55. Symptoms include severe itching, swelling in lymph nodes in your neck, night sweats, fever, unexplained weight loss, daily fatigue, decreased tolerance to alcohol or experiencing pain in lymph nodes after consuming alcohol.
Despite being relatively rare, progress in research and treatment means there’s a good chance many patients will make a full recovery.
It’s also interesting to note that there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, tells SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” she adds, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
Hodgkin lymphoma has giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
Another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.
Expert Resources on Lymphomas
- “We’ll Help You Through It”: Dr. Elizabeth Brem on the Power of Open Communication in Lymphoma Care
- Could Your Lymphoma Come Back? What Happens When You Relapse
- Exciting New Options Are Available for Lymphoma Recurrence
- Finding Lymphoma Early: Do you Know the Symptoms and Risks?
- Age, Race, and Exposures Might All Factor Into Lymphoma Risk
- How Do You Know if Your Lymphoma Has Changed Into an Aggressive Form?
Your doctor will tailor your treatment to the stage of your cancer, as well as other factors, such as how aggressive it is. Chemotherapy is generally part of the treatment at every stage. But in the early stages, radiation may be added, because stage I and II lymphomas tend to respond well to radiation.
Dr. Chong also told SurvivorNet, “The one thing that I always reassure people about when they are diagnosed with advanced stage lymphoma is that, unlike other cancers, where advanced stage is a death sentence, that’s certainly not the case for lymphoma.”
Spotting the Symptoms
The first lymphoma symptoms can be so subtle that you might not even notice them. It may not be until you visit your doctor for a check-up that you discover there could be a problem.
“People say, ‘But I feel completely fine,’ and that’s very normal,” Dr. Chong explains. If a lump is found, often “it’s only because either someone palpated a lymph node and felt some swelling in their neck or in their groin or under their arm.”
If you are at risk for this cancer because you had cancer or an organ transplant in the past, you have an autoimmune disease, or you have an infection such as HIV or Epstein-Barr, it may be worth watching out for symptoms like these:
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groin
- Weight loss
- Tiredness
- Fevers
- Swollen belly
But keep in mind that these are more likely to be symptoms of something far less serious, such as a run-of-the-mill infection.
WATCH: Dr. Jason Westin explains symptoms associated with lymphoma
There are also a group of symptoms doctors refer to as “B symptoms.” Those include a fever, night sweats, or weight loss.
“If people are having any of these symptoms, it’s really important that they tell their physician early so that the proper testing can be done,” Dr. Chong says.
Finding Lymphoma With Imaging Tests
Sometimes the first sign of lymphoma appears not as a symptom, but as a clue on an imaging test that’s done for another reason. “I have patients who’ve gotten into car accidents and said, ‘I had a scan of my body and they saw these lymph nodes,’ and that’s how initially the lymphoma was found,” says Dr. Chong.
If your symptoms appear first, your doctor might send you for an imaging test. An x-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan can identify the cause.
RELATED: Age, Race, and Exposures Might All Factor Into Lymphoma Risk
The only way to confirm whether you have lymphoma is with a biopsy. Your doctor will remove a piece of tissue from a lymph node, or the entire node. Then, a specially trained doctor called a pathologist examines the sample in a laboratory to see whether it contains lymphoma cells, and if so, which type of lymphoma they are.
A biopsy can either put your mind at ease by letting you know that you don’t have cancer, or give you a sense of direction by giving your doctor a launching-off point to plan your treatment. If you do have lymphoma, you can get at least some comfort from knowing that there are a number of good treatments to help manage it, even if you’re diagnosed at an advanced stage.
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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