Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer in the cells of the immune system. As the disease progresses, it attacks both the lymph vessels and the lymph fluid in the body. This leads to a host of symptoms.Early signsMany of the early signs of this disease are not problems that patients find alarming. That is why this disease is usually not caught early-on. The most common early symptoms are swollen lymph nodes that do not hurt, itchy skin and coughing. The person may also have trouble breathing, slight chest pain and a fever. Overall, the symptoms are similar those of a common cold.More severe symptomsAs time goes on, patients begin to experience more noticeable symptoms. Night sweats are common and may happen several times per night. Weakness and tiredness become noticeable and do not go away with rest. The person also experiences rapid weight loss for no apparent reason. They become highly intoxicated very quickly after drinking alcohol and experience pain in the lymph nodes.If someone experiences a mixture of these symptoms for more than two weeks, they should contact their doctor. There are many diseases which present in this way. Symptoms do not necessarily mean someone has Hodgkin's lymphoma. DiagnosisIn order to diagnose this disease, doctors perform blood tests to examine the number of white blood cells. They also take chest x-rays to look for swollen lymph nodes. The only definitive way to diagnose the disease, however, is to perform a biopsy of the lymph node. The surgeon may remove the entire node in this process, or he may perform what is called an incisional biopsy, in which he removes only part of the node.Hodgkin's lymphoma is a serious cancer, and early detection is important. Though the symptoms are not often alarming, patients who have a family history of this disease should stay on the lookout.