Often, the first sign of a non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling of a lymph node in the neck, armpit or groin.

Other symptoms may include any of the following:

• night sweats or unexplained high temperatures (fever)
• loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss and excessive tiredness
• persistent itching of the skin all over the body
• children may develop a cough or breathlessness; they may also complain of abdominal pain or you may notice a lump in your child’s abdomen.

If you have any of the above symptoms you should have them checked by your doctor. However, they are common to many conditions other than non-Hodgkin lymphoma and most people with these symptoms will not have a lymphoma.

Lymphomas that start in another part of the body may have different symptoms. For example, if the lymphoma is in the abdomen you may have abdominal pain or indigestion.