A Lymphoma is a tumour that develops from the cells (lymphocytes) of the lymph glands (lymph nodes) located throughout the human body. The disease can spread, through the blood and/or lymphatic vessels, from the lymph nodes to other lymph nodes or organs, both lymphatic (marrow, spleen, etc.) and extra lymphatic (skin, lungs, central nervous system, stomach, liver etc.).

Albeit forming and maturing in the lymphatic organs, lymphocytes have the physiological task to circulate in the bloodstream and in the various organs of the body in order to detect foreign antigens to be killed. Tumoral lymphocytes retain such capacity to circulate in the body, so that generally lymphomas are widespread throughout the body since their onset, also at a distance from the place of origin. People may report different symptoms according to their age and the type of lymphoma they are affected by.
The two main categories of lymphomas are:
• Hodgkin’s lymphomas (HL)
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL)