There are many types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Your doctor needs to know which type you have so that they can give you the best treatment.
What are B-Cell and T-cell lymphomas?
Lymphomas develop from abnormal lymphocytes. There are two main types of lymphocyte: B-cell lymphocytes and T-cell lymphocytes.
If a lymphoma developed from abnormal B-cell lymphocytes, it is called a B-cell lymphoma. If it developed from abnormal T-cell lymphocytes, it is called a T-cell lymphoma.
Types of B-cell lymphoma
B-cell lymphomas are more common than T-cell lymphomas. About 9 out of 10 people diagnosed with NHL (90%) have a B-cell lymphoma.
The most common types of B-cell lymphoma are:
- diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
- follicular lymphoma (FL).
Other less common types include:
- extra-nodal marginal zone lymphoma (also called MALT lymphoma)
- mantle cell lymphoma
- Burkitt lymphoma
- primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma
- nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma
- splenic marginal zone lymphoma
- small lymphocytic lymphoma
- lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (also called Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia).
Types of T-cell lymphoma
T-cell lymphomas are much less common than B-cell lymphomas. There are a number of different types of T-cell lymphoma. They include:
- peripheral T-cell lymphoma
- skin (cutaneous) lymphomas, including mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome
- anaplastic large cell lymphoma
- angioimmunoblastic lymphoma
- lymphoblastic lymphoma (this is mainly T-cell but can be B-cell).