Screening for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

There is no national screening programme for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the UK. 

What is cancer screening?

Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:

• need to be reliable at picking up cancers
• overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
• must be something that people are willing to do

Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.

Why there isn't screening for NHL in the UK

There is no national screening programme for NHL in the UK. This is because:

• it isn't clear that screening for NHL can save lives

• the tests have risks

• some of the tests can be expensive

See your GP if you have any of the possible symptoms of NHL, or are worried about your cancer risk.