Pediatric Lymphoma

Pediatric lymphoma, or lymphoma in children, is not clinically distinct from lymphoma in adults but it is always especially difficult when a child cancer and specialized treatment may be necessary. There are also certain types of lymphoma that are more prevalent in children.

The following are summaries of the most common pediatric lymphomas. Please click on the blue titles to read more about each subject.

Pediatric Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in children younger than 15 years old, and lymphomas are among the most common cancers seen in children. Fortunately, survival rates for childhood cancers have increased significantly over the years. Children respond to and deal with chemotherapy better than adults. Today, 96% of children diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease will survive 5 or more years, and 5-year survival rates are 86% for children diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (American Cancer Society, 2009).

Pediatric non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

The third most common childhood cancer is lymphoma; it accounts for 10% of all childhood cancer diagnoses. Of these diagnoses, about 60% are Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas. Children are vulnerable to the same types of lymphoma as adults. Although diagnosis of lymphoma in a child is especially traumatic for everyone involved, it must be remembered that younger patients generally have higher recovery rates than adults.

Burkitt's Lymphoma

Burkitt's lymphoma is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma that is common in children. In fact, it accounts for 30-40% of childhood lymphomas each year. Its cause is linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is also known as mononucleosis, though not all patients diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma have EBV.