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Lymphomas

Revised Sept 2011

This information should not be used to self-diagnose, or be used in place of a qualified physician’s care.
  • Lymphomas are treated by members of the BC Cancer Agency’s Lymphoma Tumour Group.
  • For healthcare professional information on treating this cancer, please see our Cancer Management Guidelines.
  • Lymphomas are cancers that arise from lymphocytes, white blood cells that circulate primarily through the lymphoid system.
  • The lymphoid system consists of: lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, lymph fluid and lymph tissue in other organs such as the spleen, thymus, bone marrow. The lymphoid system is part of the immune system, which protects against infection.
  • The lymph nodes are small organs occurring in many places in the body, particularly in the chest, neck, armpit, groin and amongst the blood vessels of the intestines. Lymphatic vessels are a network to carry lymph fluid between the nodes and through the body.
  • Abnormal or cancerous lymphocytes (T-cell or B-cell) may:
    • stay in the lymph nodes, or
    • form solid tumours in the body, or
    • rarely, like leukemia, circulate in the blood
  •  More detailed information about the different types of lymphoma is available on the following pages:

BC Cancer Agency Educational Forum on Lymphoid Cancers - Videos

The BC Cancer Agency and BC Cancer Foundation host an educational forum on lymphoid cancers each spring. Presentations videotaped at the 2009-2011 Forums are available for viewing:


This updated information is awaiting Tumour Group approval.