Lymphoma Symptoms In Children

Children are not naturally predisposed to describe what's bothering them so it's important for parents and loved ones of children to be vigilant about watching for lymphoma symptoms in children. There are a handful of lymphoma subtypes that appear more frequently in children, such as Burkitt's lymphoma, one of the most aggressive cancers known to modern medicine (but rare in the West), while pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma is rare—but not entirely uncommon-in children.

Both of these examples are treatable and even curable despite their aggressive clinical course, but the important thing is to catch them early.

By and large, lymphoma symptoms in children are no different than the symptoms for lymphoma that appear in adults. The most common lymphoma symptoms in children are:

• Swollen painless lymph nodes in the neck, groin, or armpit
• Unexplained weight loss
• Unexplained appetite loss
• A swelling of the head or neck
• Respiratory problems such as difficulty breathing
• Problems swallowing
• Drenching night sweats
• Wheezing
• Unexplained fevers or chills that last for an extended time

Keep in mind that these are non-specific symptoms and can be indicative of many things, major and minor. Nonetheless, these symptoms should be reported to one's pediatrician or health care professionals as soon as possible so other illnesses can be ruled out.

Sources

• National Cancer Institute
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Children's Hospital Boston