1.2 Risk factors

1.2 Risk factors

The risk factors for developing Hodgkin lymphoma and DLBCL include:

  • age – all ages can develop these lymphomas; however, DLBCL is most common in middle-aged to older adults, while Hodgkin lymphoma is common in adolescents and young adults as well as older adults
  • intrinsic immunosuppression – patients who have received an organ transplant, are HIV-positive or are being therapeutically treated with immunosuppressants
  • viral infection with Epstein-Barr virus in conjunction with immune deficiency
  • family history of lymphoproliferative disorder.

Risk factors specific to DLBCL are:

  • gender – males have a slightly higher risk
  • a high BMI
  • B-cell-activating autoimmune diseases (Cerhan et al. 2014)
  • prolonged hair dye use (Parodi et al. 2016)
  • obesity (Bhaskaran et al. 2014)
  • personal or family history of a lymphoproliferative disorder.