Lymphoma is a disease that occurs when the white blood cells that inhabit the body become cancerous. Just like blood, lymph circulates throughout the body and helps the immune system fight against infections; this same substance is how white blood cells move throughout the circulatory system. Lymph nodes should clean and replenish lymph as it travels, however lymphoma causes complications in this process. Some lymphoma symptoms are hard to detect.

Yet below are a few common early warning signs of lymphoma that may indicate cancer within the lymphatic system:

1. Swelling of the lymph nodes

Cancerous white blood cells will have difficulty moving through the lymph nodes. These nodes are designed to filter out waste from the lymph system, so when an enlarged cancer cell enters it becomes trapped. As the severity of lymphoma increases and more white blood cells turn cancerous, the number of trapped cells can become great enough to cause swelling. This swelling may not be painful, as this is a natural part of the immune system’s behavior, but intense swelling in multiple areas may be a sign of serious illness.

2. Fatigue

Fatigue, which primarily stems from a problem in red blood cell count or efficiency, is a symptom of many cancers. When the quality of lymph decreases, it affects many organs that are in charge of producing more red blood cells. A lack of these oxygen carriers causes fatigue; similarly, the lack of appetite caused by cancer increases the chances of an iron deficiency. Many cancer patients say that this is the hardest symptom to deal with, as it makes everything in life harder to accomplish.

3. Unexpected weight loss

A serious cancer such as lymphoma will alter the functions of certain vital organs, causing them to slow down. This will lower a person’s metabolism and create a cycle of malnourishment. The pain caused by lymphoma may also keep a person from being able to eat. Part of what makes cancer so deadly is that it saps strength from the body and reduces people’s capacity to get energy and maintain their body. A loss of appetite will only reduce the body’s chance to fight off the cancerous cells, because the immune system will be weakened.

4. Fever

Fevers are used by the body to deter invading bacteria and other organisms, but they do little to help against cancer. When the brain detects trouble caused by lymphoma, it will instinctively raise the temperature of the body. Since the problems caused by the cancerous cells only get worse, the fever will continue to come back in an attempt to fix the ailment.

5. Sweating at night

People will sometimes sweat at night if the room is warm or they are recovering from a fever. Night sweats caused by lymphoma are much more serious and easy to detect, due to the increased volume of fluid that is sweated out overnight.

6. Itching

Rashes and itchy spots can pop up in people that are currently fighting against lymphoma. The skin may become scaly as the immune system wages war against cancerous cells. This same symptom can be seen in several types of infections and immune disorders. It’s believed that the itchy spots are caused by a reaction with a chemical that is used by white blood cells to attack cancer cells. This substance builds up to the point that it causes itchiness.