A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.
It is possible to develop non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your healthcare provider what you can do to reduce your risk.
Risk factors include:
Medical Conditions
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma seems to occur more often in people who:
- Have been infected with Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis
- Are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) , which weakens the immune system
- There is some evidence that long term stimulation of the immune system, such as occurs with patients who have immune-mediated diseases like gluten intolerance, may increase the risk of lymphoma slightly.
Medications
Some non-Hodgkins lymphomas are associated with the use of immunosuppressive drugs that are used to prevent transplant rejection. These drugs weaken your immune system response.
Advancing Age
The chance of developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma increases with age. Among 20 year olds, about four cases occur for every 100,000 people. That increases to 40 cases per 100,000 among 60 year olds and 80 cases per 100,000 among people older than 75.
