Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
There are many different types of NHL. Some are low grade which mean they grow slowly. And some are high grade which mean they grow and spread more quickly. Your prognosis depends on what type of NHL you have.
Survival depends on many factors. No one can tell you exactly how long you will live.
Below are general statistics based on large groups of people. Remember, they can’t tell you what will happen in your individual case.
The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.
The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.
5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.
Generally, for people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in England:
around 80 out of every 100 people (around 80%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed
around 65 out of every 100 people (around 65%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis
it is predicted that 55 out of every 100 people (55%) will survive their cancer for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed
Low grade lymphomas can be difficult to get rid of completely. But treatment can keep them under control for several years. There are no UK-wide survival statistics available for all the different types and stages of low grade NHL.
Survival statistics are available for the following types of low grade lymphoma:
follicular lymphoma
marginal zone lymphoma, including MALT lymphoma
mantle cell lymphoma
These statistics are for people in one area of England diagnosed between 2010 and 2019.
High grade (aggressive) lymphomas generally need more intensive treatment than the low grade types. But they often respond well to treatment. Many people are cured. There are no UK-wide survival statistics available for all the different types and stages of high grade NHL.
Survival statistics are available for the following types of high grade lymphoma:
diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Burkitt lymphoma
peripheral T cell lymphoma - this includes peripheral T cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (PTCL NOS), anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL)
These statistics are for people in one area of England diagnosed between 2010 and 2019.
Skin (cutaneous) lymphoma is a rare type of NHL. There are different types of skin lymphomas. Most are slow growing (low grade) but some can be fast growing (high grade).
There are no UK-wide survival statistics available for all the different types and stages of skin lymphoma. Survival statistics are available for the following types of skin lymphoma:
all types of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL)
mycosis fungoides, which is a type of CTCL
These statistics are for people in one area of England diagnosed between 2010 and 2019.
Your outcome depends on the stage of the lymphoma when it was diagnosed. The stage tells you about the number and places in the body that are affected by lymphoma.
The type and grade also affects your likely survival. Grade is very important. It means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope. Low grade lymphomas tend to grow slower than high grade lymphomas.
A number of other factors also affect your outlook.
For follicular lymphoma, doctors use a scale called the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI). It has 5 prognostic factors that doctors use to plan treatment and predict how people may respond to treatment. These 5 factors are:
being older than 60 years
having stage 3 or 4 follicular lymphoma
having a low red blood cell (haemoglobin) level
having more than 4 areas of lymph nodes affected with lymphoma
a higher than normal blood level of an enzyme called LDH (serum lactate dehydrogenase)
If you have no poor prognostic factors you have a score of 0. People with all of the poor prognostic factors have a score of 5. The doctor uses this score to divide people with follicular lymphoma into 3 groups:
low risk if you have no or 1 poor prognostic factor
intermediate (moderate) risk if you have 2 poor prognostic factors
high risk, if you have 3 or more poor prognostic factors
For diffuse large B cell lymphoma, doctors group these factors together to make a prognostic index. A prognostic index is a way of trying to decide who has a greater risk of their lymphoma coming back after treatment.
This scale is only for people with diffuse large B cell lymphomas – not for people with low grade lymphomas.
To work out the prognostic index, you score one point for each of the following:
aged over 60
stage 3 or 4 lymphoma at diagnosis
a higher than normal blood level of an enzyme called LDH (lactate dehydrogenase)
performance status of more than 2 (see below)
non-Hodgkin lymphoma in more than one site outside your lymphatic system (in your bones, for example)
Performance status is a scoring system that describes how well you are and how much you can look after yourself.
0 means you are fully active and well. Your performance status will be more than 2 if you need to stay in bed or a chair for more than half the day and need a lot of help to look after yourself.
If you have no poor prognostic factors you have a score of 0. People with all of the poor prognostic factors have a score of 5.
A score of 0 or 1 means you are more likely to respond well to treatment, and your lymphoma is unlikely to come back.
A score of 2 means you are at moderately low risk of your lymphoma coming back.
A score of 3 means you have a moderately high risk of the lymphoma coming back.
A score of 4 or 5 means you are at a higher than average risk of not responding to treatment, or of having your lymphoma come back after treatment.
Both indexes was created before doctors used rituximab to treat lymphoma. Rituximab has improved treatment for many people with NHL. Doctors generally still think these indexes are useful tools to help plan treatment and predict outcome.
Last reviewed: 09 May 2024
Next review due: 09 May 2027
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. It's the 6th most common type of cancer in adults.
There are many different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Doctors also give NHL a grade, depending on how quickly it is likely to grow.
The stage tells you about the number and places in your body that are affected by lymphoma. There are 4 stages for NHL. Or doctors describe it as either early or advanced stage.
Your treatment depends on the type and stage of your NHL. Common treatments include chemotherapy, targeted and immunotherapy drugs, radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant.
Researchers around the world are looking at treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
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