Often the first noticeable symptom is a swollen gland or hard, painless lump under the arm, in the groin area, neck, or abdomen. Other symptoms can include night sweats, sudden and unexplained weight loss, frequent fevers, loss of energy, and itching without rash. Not all patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, will have symptoms straight away. Non Hodgkins Lymphoma can be indolent (slow growing) or aggressive.

There are many types of chemotherapy treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which are given in various combinations. Chemotherapy treatment (most common treatment) can be used with monoclonal antibody therapy, radiotherapy or corticosteroids. Not all patients have side effects from the chemotherapy and if they do occur, they can be mild and are often easily treatable. If the lymphoma is localized, radiation therapy might be used possibly in conjunction with chemotherapy.

Radiation treatment is commonly used to both diagnose and treat conditions such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. There are two types of radiation therapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - radiotherapy and radio immunotherapy. Radiation therapy may not always be appropriate.

Some patients who have indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma do not require treatment straight after they are diagnosed. Patients are monitored closely and a 'watch and wait' situation occurs. If patients under 'watch and wait' start having symptoms, treatment will be given.

Transplant may be used as a lymphoma treatment after high-dose chemotherapy, to help replace the immune system and bone marrow. Patients with aggressive relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are offered transplants, along with those who do not respond to chemotherapy. Surgery as a lymphoma treatment is rarely used to cure non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, normally only to obtain a sample of cells for testing, or biopsy.

New and experimental treatments are sometimes offered to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients who have not responded to conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy. However, they often have an increased risk of side effects and their benefits are not always proven.

Additional treatment or alternative therapies include naturopathic medicine, nutritional therapy, mind-body medicine, image enhancement and spiritual counseling.