What Is the Survival Rate of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma? A Look at Prognosis

Lymphoma is a cancer that’s a little bit different from other types of cancer. That’s because it affects the cells of the immune system rather than a solid organ, like the lung or liver. And there are multiple different types of lymphoma. So a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be difficult to understand. 

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is not one specific type of lymphoma. It’s a term that includes several different kinds of lymphomas. And the treatment and survival depends on the specific type. 

How serious is non-Hodgkin lymphoma? 

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a group of several different kinds of lymphomas. In fact, there are more than 80 kinds of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Lymphomas are cancers that involve immune cells (white blood cells) and usually develop in the lymph nodes. 

Immune cells that can develop lymphoma are: 

• B cells 

• T cells

• NK cells

• Precursor cells (cells that develop into the other immune cells)

Differences between the non-Hodgkin lymphomas include:

• Which immune cells are affected

• How quickly the cells are dividing 

• Where in the body the cancer is growing 

• Which molecules and genes can be detected in the cancer cells

• How the cancer affects the body

• How treatments affect the cancer 

All of these differences play a role in how severe someone’s particular lymphoma is. Because there are so many factors, there’s a wide range in how severe lymphoma can be.

Indolent and aggressive types of lymphoma

Indolent and aggressive are two big categories of lymphoma that can help give an idea of how severe a specific lymphoma is.

Indolent lymphomas 

Indolent lymphomas, or low-grade lymphomas, grow at a slower rate than aggressive lymphomas. 

One of the main symptoms is lymphadenopathy, or swollen lymph nodes. But some people with indolent lymphomas have no symptoms for years. Sometimes lymphomas are only discovered through blood test results or a medical exam.  

Indolent lymphoma may not need treatment when it is first discovered. Oncologists (doctors who specialize in cancer) may want to wait and watch how the disease changes.

Lymphomas that tend to be indolent include:

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia / small lymphocytic lymphoma

• Follicular lymphoma

• Marginal zone lymphoma

• Mycosis fungoides

Aggressive lymphomas 

Aggressive lymphomas grow and spread more quickly. A person can die in several weeks with the most aggressive of lymphomas if they do not get treatment. 

Aggressive lymphomas commonly have more symptoms right away than indolent lymphomas. Some important symptoms that healthcare professionals track are called B symptoms. B symptoms are common with aggressive lymphomas and can indicate more serious disease. They include: 

• Fever

• Weight loss

• Night sweats

• Chills

• Itching

Lymphomas that tend to be aggressive include:

• Diffuse large B cell lymphoma 

• Burkitt lymphoma 

• Precursor cell lymphoma 

• Adult T cell lymphoma 

• Peripheral T cell lymphoma

• Mantle cell lymphoma

Is non-Hodgkin lymphoma curable? 

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is sometimes curable. Here it’s important to differentiate between cure and treatment. Indolent lymphomas are very treatable. People can live a long time with indolent lymphomas. In fact, remission can last for years or decades. 

Remission means there are no detectable signs of cancer in the body — but that doesn’t mean the cancer is gone. It’s just not growing or causing any problems. But indolent lymphoma is not as curable as some aggressive lymphomas. This means that the disease will not be completely cleared. 

Aggressive lymphoma can be more curable because there are good treatments for cancer cells that grow quickly. While aggressive lymphomas need urgent medical attention, they can often be cured.

It should be noted that indolent lymphoma can eventually turn into aggressive lymphoma. But this doesn't mean that the lymphoma will be easier to treat in this case.

But each person with lymphoma is different. How well treatment works, and whether the lymphoma can be cured, depends on many factors. It’s not just the type of lymphoma. These factors include:

• Tumor stage and grade: The size and location of tumors are important, but it really depends on the specific situation.  

• Age: People under age 60 have a better prognosis.

• Heart and lung function: A person needs a healthy heart and lungs to withstand certain treatments.

• Symptoms: B symptoms are associated with aggressive disease.

• Presence of certain molecules: Specific molecules called lactate dehydrogenase and beta-2 microglobulin are sometimes elevated in blood tests. And these are linked with a worse outlook.

• Other health conditions: Certain chronic conditions — along with the lymphoma — can affect the outlook. Examples include diabetes, heart disease, COPD, HIV, and hepatitis.

• Daily functioning: A person’s ability to be active and do self-care can also affect survival rate.

What is the survival rate of non-Hodgkin lymphoma? 

The 5-year survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 74%. But keep in mind this is an average figure for all of the lymphomas in this category. 

The survival rate changes depending on the type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Some survival rates for common types are:

• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (the most common aggressive type): 65%

• Follicular lymphoma (the most common indolent type): 90%

The survival rate increases when tumors are smaller and contained to one area in the body. 

Current survival rates may be higher, according to the American Cancer Society. These numbers are based on past data, and better treatments continue to come out.

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Written by:

Katherine Krive, DO

Katherine Krive, DO, is a freelance medical writer and editor. She is also a psychiatrist who has practiced in hospital, academic, and community settings.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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