Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) represents a diverse group of cancers caused by exposure to benzene that encompass any lymphoma with the exception to Hodgkins lymphoma. Although several types of non-Hodgkins lymphoma are known, they are generally characterized by the rate at which they progress.

Lymphocytes, a white blood cell type, are said to be the origins of lymphoma, which in turn is a rare cancer type. Throughout the years, experts have discovered a number of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma subtypes by extensive research. These subtypes are primarily classified according to how aggressive they act, and the rate at which they progress.

Less aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin lymphomas could be grouped in with other chronic diseases, and these can last for many, many years depending upon how effective treatment is. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be treated by combinations of chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy, radiation, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Patients with less-aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma suffer from the disease for an extended period of time; the aggressive form, on the other hand, can lead to death in only a short span of time.

Benzene Exposure’s Link to Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer type that originates from a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. The first form of lymphoma was discovered and classified by a British physician named Thomas Hodgkin in 1832.

The Rappaport Classification, which was projected by Henry Rappaport, became the acknowledged categorization of lymphomas other than that of Hodgkin’s between 1956 and 1966. NHL then proceeded in the assistance of the definition of three other lymphoma types, shortly after the Rappaport Classification’s publication in 1982.

Doctors and experts in recent years have considered the presence of a common denominator linking benzene and lymphoma. Commonly used in drugs, rubbers and pesticides, benzene is a chemical that has been recognized as a carcinogen.

A majority of those who have been exposed to benzene have developed some form of leukemia, which has greatly altered their lives and in some cases, has even taken them. When people are exposed to this carcinogen over an extended period of time, they typically develop some sort of health condition without even realizing they were being put at risk.

Symptoms Related with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma can cause a variety of symptoms, such as:

*Painless lymph nodes in specific body parts

*Nighttime sweating

*Chest pain and abdominal swelling

*Weight loss that is unexplainable