There a number of different cancers involving blood that originate in the lymph system. The name for these types of cancers is lymphoma. Many of the signs and symptoms of lymphoma are nonspecific, meaning they are very similar to many other illnesses and diseases. These often vague and common symptoms can make lymphoma difficult to diagnose.The most common symptom of lymphomaThe first and most common sign of lymphoma is painless swelling or lumps in the neck, armpit or groin. This swelling of the lymph nodes may go unnoticed and is normally the only symptom of lymphoma present in the early stages of the disease. Enlarged lymph nodes are not always an indication of lymphoma, further testing is always needed.Other common symptoms of lymphomaIn addition to enlarged lymph nodes, patients may suffer some combination of the following symptoms. The other common symptoms that some patients experience include loss of appetite, weakness, shortness of breath, fatigue, pale skin, slow healing wounds, weight loss and bone and joint pain. Since many of these symptoms can indicate a number of diseases, lymphoma is frequently diagnosed as some type of infection until the symptoms persist over time. Generally each case is different and presents with a different combination of symptoms.The B symptoms of lymphomaThere are three symptoms of lymphoma known as B symptoms: drenching night sweats, persistent fever, and rapid weight loss of ten percent or more body weight. These symptoms are generally viewed as good indicators of how the disease might progress. Presence of one or more of these symptoms may indicate that the cancer has spread throughout the body requiring more aggressive treatment. Patients with B symptoms even in the early stages of the disease may receive treatments that are usually reserved for advanced stage disease.Consult with a physician immediately if any B symptoms are present, particularly if they persist and do not seem related to an obvious infection. Lymphoma is a difficult disease to diagnose. The symptoms of lymphoma are so similar to the symptoms of a host of other illnesses and diseases that diagnostic testing is always recommended. Many lymphoma sufferers present with a unique combination of mild symptoms that if caught early enough make the disease easier to treat.