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The Daily Insight

What are B symptoms of lymphoma?

Author

Chloe Ramirez

Updated on February 18, 2026

What are B-cell lymphoma symptoms?

  • Fever.
  • Drenching night sweats.
  • Unintentional loss of more than 10% of body weight over 6 months.
  • Painless swelling in one or more lymph node(s).
  • Persistent fatigue.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Cough or chest pain.
  • Stomach pain.

What causes B symptoms in lymphoma?

Inflammatory or B symptoms in lymphoma are associated with elevated plasma inflammatory markers and predict worse treatment response and survival. Recent data suggest that systemic inflammation results in reduced hepatic drug metabolism and increased toxicity from chemotherapy.

What is the most common early symptom of lymphoma?

The most common sign of lymphoma is a lump or lumps, usually in the neck, armpit or groin. These lumps are swollen lymph nodes, sometimes known as 'glands'. Usually, they're painless. Fatigue is different to normal tiredness.

What are the early warning signs of lymphoma?

Signs and symptoms of lymphoma may include:

  • Painless swelling of lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin.
  • Persistent fatigue.
  • Fever.
  • Night sweats.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Itchy skin.

What are B symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?

Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may include:

  • Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin.
  • Abdominal pain or swelling.
  • Chest pain, coughing or trouble breathing.
  • Persistent fatigue.
  • Fever.
  • Night sweats.
  • Unexplained weight loss.

The symptoms of lymphoma

What are considered B symptoms?

The term “B symptoms” is used to refer to fever, drenching night sweats and loss of more than 10 percent of body weight over 6 months.

Where does B-cell lymphoma start?

B-cell lymphoma usually begins in the lymph nodes, but it can also appear in other parts of the immune system, such as the spleen or bone marrow. Doctors usually detect lymphoma in the lymph system, which includes the lymph nodes and lymph fluid. However, the cancer can also travel outside of this system.

Would lymphoma show up in blood work?

Most types of lymphoma can't be diagnosed by a blood test. However, blood tests can help your medical team find out how lymphoma and its treatment are affecting your body. They can also be used to find out more about your general health.

Do you feel ill with lymphoma?

Anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL) may come with symptoms such as fever, backache, painless swelling of lymph nodes, poor appetite, itchy skin, rashes and fatigue. Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) often causes symptoms such as fever, night sweats, rashes and itchy skin.

What can be mistaken for lymphoma?

Conditions that non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is commonly misdiagnosed as include:

  • Influenza.
  • Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • Cat scratch fever.
  • HIV.
  • Infections.
  • Mononucleosis.

How long can you have lymphoma without knowing?

These grow so slowly that patients can live for many years mostly without symptoms, although some may experience pain from an enlarged lymph gland. After five to 10 years, low-grade disorders begin to progress rapidly to become aggressive or high-grade and produce more severe symptoms.

What does lymphoma fatigue feel like?

People often describe lymphoma fatigue (or treatment-related fatigue) as feeling: Extremely tired. Weak. Exhausted.

Where do you itch with lymphoma?

Cytokines can irritate nerve endings in the skin, which can in turn cause persistent itching. Many individuals experience this itchiness in their hands, lower legs or feet, while others feel it throughout their entire body. Patients often report that the itching tends to worsen while they are lying in bed at night.

How is B-cell lymphoma diagnosed?

The main way to diagnose DLBCL is to remove a swollen lymph node, or a sample of cells from it, and look at it under a microscope. This involves a small operation called a biopsy, which is usually done under a local anaesthetic.

Is B-cell lymphoma fatal?

DLBCL is a fast-growing, aggressive form of NHL. DLBCL is fatal if left untreated, but with timely and appropriate treatment, approximately two-thirds of all people can be cured.

Can you gain weight with lymphoma?

Weight gain is also extremely common among patients with prostate cancer, as well as lymphoma, multiple myeloma and chronic leukemia.

Does lymphoma cause neck pain?

Lymphomas make up about 1.7 to 3.1 percent of all salivary gland cancers, which can cause symptoms such as: a lump or swelling in your mouth, cheek, neck, or jaw. persistent pain in these areas.

Are night sweats a symptom of lymphoma?

This occurs because the lymphoma cells produce certain chemicals that can increase a person's body temperature. As a result, it's common for individuals with lymphoma to experience severe night sweats that leave their pajamas, sheets and blankets soaking wet.

Will CT scan show lymphoma?

Computed tomography (CT) scan

This scan can help tell if any lymph nodes or organs in your body are enlarged. CT scans are useful for looking for lymphoma in the abdomen, pelvis, chest, head, and neck. CT-guided needle biopsy: A CT can also be used to guide a biopsy needle into a suspicious area.

What would a CBC look like with lymphoma?

Complete blood count (CBC)

White blood cells, which fight infection. A low white blood cell count can occur due to lymphoma or other conditions, like an autoimmune disorder. Lymphoma sometimes shows in the blood as an abnormally high white blood cell count. Platelets, which are cells that clot the blood.

Does lymphoma cause gas?

Some treatments for lymphoma can cause gas to build up in your digestive system, which leads to increased wind. This isn't a serious medical problem but it can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Most of the time, wind doesn't need medical treatment and can be managed with diet and lifestyle changes.

How fast does B-cell lymphoma spread?

Symptoms can start or get worse in just a few weeks. The most common symptom is one or more painless swellings. These swellings can grow very quickly.

Does B-cell lymphoma cause weightloss?

B-cell lymphoma symptoms

Certain symptoms, called B symptoms, are associated with B-cell lymphomas, including: Fever. Night sweats. Unintentional weight loss of more than 10 percent of body weight over six months.

Can B-cell lymphoma curable?

Some types of B-cell lymphomas can be cured. Treatment can slow progression in others. If there's no sign of cancer after your primary treatment, it means you're in remission. You'll still need to follow up for several years to monitor for recurrence.