Definition of lymphoma

The origin of the word "lymphoma" can be traced back to the late 19th century. The term "lymphoma" derives from the Greek word "lymphē" meaning "lymph" and the suffix "-oma" meaning "tumor" or "swelling". In 1832, a British surgeon, John Cunningham, coined the term "lymphagoenesis" to describe the formation of lymphatic tissue. This term was later shortened to "lymphomatosis" by the Germanpathologist Rudolf Virchow in 1863. In 1877, the British hematologist Sir Thomas Hodgkin described a group of lymph node enlargements that resulted from a cancerous process. He called these enlargements "periphlebitis hysteria" as he initially thought them to be due to a viral infection. However, in 1832, a posthumous paper by the British pathologist Thomas Addison described a similar disease, which he called "lymphogranulomatous ulcer." In 1895, the German pathologist Max Joseph Volrad described a type of lymphoid malignancy distinct from Hodgkin's disease. Volrad named this disease "lymphagranulosis" due to its lymphatic and granulomatous nature. In the late 19th century, the German pathologist Albert Nissl suggested a new terminology for lymphoid malignancies, which was widely adopted. Nissl proposed that all lymphoid malignancies should be called "lymphoma" and classified them into categories based on their cellular composition. Since then, the term "lymphoma" has become an accepted medical term for a group of lymphoid malignancies that arise from lymphocytes, which are white blood cells of the lymphatic system. Today, lymphoma is classified into numerous subtypes based on the type of lymphocytes affected and their cellular characteristics.