Risks and causes of Hodgkin lymphoma
It is important to remember that doctors do not know what causes most cases of Hodgkin lymphoma. But there are some factors that may increase your risk of developing it. Research into risks and causes is ongoing.
What is a risk factor?
Anything that can increase your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor.
Different cancers have different risk factors. Having one or more of these risk factors doesn't mean you will get Hodgkin lymphoma.
As Hodgkin lymphoma is not common, the risk of developing it is small even if you have one of these risk factors.
Hodgkin lymphoma is slightly more common in males than females in the UK.
It can happen at any age. In the UK it is more common between the ages of 20 and 24 and between 75 and 79 years old.
You may be more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma if your 
isn't working properly. The immune system fights diseases. You may have low immunity if you:
- have a rare condition caused by the immune system (an
autoimmune disease ), such as Sjögren’s syndrome or sarcoidosis - develop an autoimmune condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)
- have HIV (human immuno deficiency virus) or AIDS (acquired immuno deficiency syndrome)
People with HIV are 11 times more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma than the general population. And people with AIDS are nearly 3 times more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma than the general population.
We don't know why there is a higher risk for people with autoimmune diseases.
Having an autoimmune disease does not mean you will definitely get Hodgkin lymphoma.
People who have had (NHL) in the past have a slight increased risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma. This may be due to the treatment they had for NHL.
Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is the virus that causes glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis). Glandular fever is not usually a serious illness, although it can make people feel very unwell and may last a long time. People who have had glandular fever may have an increased risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma.
It's estimated that around 40 out of 100 cases (around 40%) of Hodgkin lymphoma in the UK are related to EBV infection.
But it’s important to remember that most people who have had Epstein Barr virus or glandular fever will not develop cancer as a result.
You may have an increased risk of getting Hodgkin lymphoma if you have a parent, child, sister, or brother who has had one of the following:
-
Hodgkin lymphoma
-
non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
-
chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
We don't know whether this increase in risk is due to inherited gene changes or shared lifestyle factors.
However this risk is very small. Most people with Hodgkin lymphoma don’t have a family member who has had lymphoma or another blood cancer.
Some research has suggested that people who are obese (overweight) may have an increased risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma. But most people do not develop Hodgkin lymphoma because they are overweight.
It’s important to keep a healthy weight as this can lower the risk of many health conditions. These include diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. If you need to lose weight, there is information and support available.
Some studies have suggested an increased risk of Hodgkin lymphoma in people who smoke.
If you smoke, stopping is the best thing you can do for your health and to reduce your cancer risk.
Other possible causes
Stories about potential causes are often in the media and it isn’t always clear which ideas are supported by evidence. There might be things you have heard of that we haven’t included here. This is because either there is no evidence about them or it is less clear.
Reducing your risk
Not all cancers can be prevented but there are things you can do to reduce your general risk of developing cancer.
These include not smoking and keeping a healthy weight.
More information on risk factors for Hodgkin lymphoma
We have more detailed information for health professionals about Hodgkin lymphoma risks and causes.
