Search Results

Amber

I was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) right before my 27th birthday. I had just finished my Master’s degree and was engaged to get married the same year. I was a special education teacher and wasn’t sure what to do with the news. 

Keith

Hi! My name is Keith. I’m currently 37 years old. I was diagnosed on November 6, 2015, with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). My wife, Tesia, was proudly serving in our finest Navy at the Pentagon when I received the news. She came home, and I had to deliver the news to her. It was rough; it was scary; it was a blur. I felt like I was on autopilot.

Matt

Meet Matt. Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor. Goalkeeper of major league soccer's Columbus Crew. After donating blood when he was 17 years old, Matt learned he had Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. While all of his friends were going off to college, Matt was going to chemotherapy. But thankfully, by September, 2007 Matt was cancer free. Today, Matt is doing all he can to help others with blood cancer.

Jeff

Meet Jeff. Follicular Lymphoma Survivor. During an annual physical, Jeff noticed a lump under his arm, and after a biopsy it was discovered that he had follicular lymphoma. Jeff learned that LLS was doing research in the area of his illness and also received important disease information from LLS. Jeff's wife talks about the innovative treatments that LLS is funding and how, as advancements take place, longevity for Jeff becomes more and more of a reality.

Tim

On March 10, 2015 I reached another milestone and turned 60 years young. I have been blessed with good health and the ability to swim, bike, and run. For over a decade I have been involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a board member and participant in more than a dozen fundraising triathlons/marathons for Team In Training events all over the world. My efforts will continue until cures for blood-related cancers are realized.

Melanie

I beat stage 4 lymphoma last year after six months of aggressive chemotherapy. Honestly, I wasn't given much information from my centers, but The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) reached out to me to inform me about all the aid and grants they offer to help those going through cancer. Their representative stayed on the phone with me for over 40 minutes and was one of the most helpful people. When you're going through cancer with very little education, EVERYONE helps. 

Steven

I have a rare blood cancer. It is Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but some doctors say it has the same characteristics as POEMS syndrome.

I have very painful neuropathy, and it affects my legs and feet to the point that some days I cannot walk.

I have a spinal cord stimulator with the battery implanted in my back.

I am thankful to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) for my grants and all the other assistance, especially through this COVID pandemic.

Signs and Symptoms

The most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is one or more enlarged (swollen) lymph nodes. The enlarged lymph node may be in the neck, upper chest, armpit, abdomen or groin. The swollen lymph node is usually painless.

Other signs and symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma may include

Debbie

My only child was my heart and soul!  He was a son to be proud of in so many ways.  Kind, gentle, and caring was only the tip of the iceberg to his character.  He had lots of friends and was always ready to help when called.  He had just finished his freshman year in college when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.  It changed our world.

Laniya

I was truly blessed to be introduced to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by workers from Duquesne Light Company as well as my daughter, Ebony Jennings who works as a customer service representative for Duquesne Light Company in Pittsburgh PA. First, I must boast about my granddaughter, Laniya S. White, because she’s a TRUE fighter and never allowed lymphoma to define her.

Saly & Merna

We began volunteering with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) annual Light The Night (LTN) event in high school. Our hearts were touched by the courage and stories of empowerment present at the event, so we came back the following year, and then the year after that, and so on. Even through COVID, we were supporters of the event and the individuals and families there. We volunteer every year and support LLS as we learn more about friends who are wrestling with and have been impacted by leukemia and lymphoma, always praying for healing and restoration.

Kiersten

When I was 38 weeks pregnant, I found a lump on my neck. Doctors couldn't test anything until after my son was born.

In February of 2015, my happy and healthy baby boy, Elliot was born. Just one month later, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. I started chemotherapy in April and after 12 rounds, there was no trace of cancer found in my body.

Now I'm ready to enjoy raising my first child without going through chemotherapy while giving back to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Clinical Trials

Taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice for some Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients. Clinical trials are under way to develop treatments that increase the remission rate or cure the disease. Today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society continues to invest funds in HL research.

Click here to read more about clinical trials.

Treatment Outcomes

Treatment results and outcomes vary among patients. Newer treatment therapies, better supportive care and studies of new drugs in clinical trials are all contributing to improved outcomes and quality of life for people diagnosed with blood cancers.

Childhood and Adolescent Blood Cancer Facts and Statistics

•  An estimated 54,868 children and adolescents younger than 20 years in the US are living with or in remission from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).
• Leukemia is the most common cancer diagnosed in children and adolescents younger than 20 years and accounts for 25.4 percent of all cancer cases in this age-group.
• From 2016 to 2020, the most recent 5 years for which data are available, leukemia and lymphoma accounted for 38.4 percent of all cancer types in

Clinical Trials

Taking part in a clinical trial may be the best therapy for some non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients. Clinical trials are under way to develop treatments that increase the remission rate of or cure the disease. Clinical trials are carefully designed and reviewed by expert clinicians and researchers to ensure safety and scientific accuracy. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society continues to invest funds in NHL research.

Click here to read more about clinical trials.

Brauer

Being a recipient of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors is allowing me to continue my education and pursue the life cancer tried to take away from me. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) my freshman year of high school, and one of my biggest fears while in treatment was if I was going to be able to attend college still. I had been dreaming of attending Clemson University and having all the college experiences. I am grateful for the opportunities LLS has given me and the chance to not just survive but thrive after cancer.

Joseph

On May 1, 2021, my son Joseph was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and so our journey began. We were blessed with so much love and support throughout his treatment that we decided to raise money for those less fortunate. We joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Light The Night (LNT) and raised over $17,000. We had over 100 family and friends walking with us, and it was an amazing experience that we will continue to do. Joseph and I are so proud to be part of this organization. Written by family member.

Trish

After being diagnosed with indolent Follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) in 1999, I set off on a course of “Watch and Wait” for two years. This was followed by an idiotype vaccine trial and immunotherapy resulting in some clinical success, but with short-lived remissions.

Relapsed and Refractory

Refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is NHL that has not responded to initial treatment. Refractory disease may be disease that is getting worse or staying the same.

Relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is NHL that responded to treatment but then returns. 

Grace

Meet Grace. Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor. In April 2013, Grace was rushed to the hospital where she had a CT scan which showed she had two masses in her chest. The biopsy results confirmed that Grace had Hodgkin lymphoma. In July 2013, after five rounds of chemotherapy Grace went into remission. Grace has returned back to school and is getting back into the swing of things. Grace is a girly girl. Rather than playing sports she is more interested in fashion. Grace loves her boas and tiaras; in fact, she is a little fashionista.

Bruce

I was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in August 2019 at age 64. It was an accidental find while scanning for a kidney stone. I was late stage 3 at diagnosis with no prior symptoms. I had 4 rounds of treatment finishing at the end of 2019 and followed with an autologous stem cell transplant at the University of Virginia on February 24, 2020.

Tricia

My name is Tricia, and I am a two-time cancer survivor. In 2017, at the age of 27, I got a positive pregnancy test. We were elated! We already had a three-year-old daughter and couldn't wait to expand our family. I made an appointment with my OB-GYN to confirm the pregnancy and get a due date when she found a lump on my thyroid. I was constantly assured it would be nothing. Unfortunately, after a biopsy, it was confirmed to be thyroid cancer. I underwent surgery to remove half of my thyroid that had the tumor. It was very scary going under the knife since I was pregnant at the time.

Melanie

In 2017 I was first diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, I had a 6 months treatment and got into remission, after 2 years the doctors told me that I had a relapse and now Im half way in my treatment at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.

I'm very excited because after my stem cell transplant i will be able to continue my medical assistant program and then start nursing school! My boyfriend is also a lymphoma survivor and we have been supporting each other in this journey.

I'm a 20 year old women with a lot of goals in life and I cannot wait to make them come true!

Josh

Josh, 55, underwent multiple treatments for lymphoma, but continued to relapse. A little more than year ago, he was treated with CAR-T immunotherapy at UCLA (Kite Pharma’s clinical trial Zuma 1 supported by LLS). And within a few weeks he had a complete response to the treatment. On September 12, 2017, scans showed that he remains cancer-free 15 months later.

In 2010, Josh, age 49 at the time, was with his wife on their honeymoon when he noticed a bean-sized lump on the back of his neck.