Occasionally, fever, night sweats, weight loss, itchiness or cough are also present. The diagnosis is confirmed by a biopsy of the enlarged node. Many aspects of the treatment of Hodgkins disease are similar in adults and children. The main difference is that decisions about treatment must take into account normal growth and development. For example, radiation therapy plays a less prominent role in the treatment of children than of adults because it stunts the growth of normal tissues within the radiation field.
Treatment usually consists of a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
It often originates in lymph nodes in the abdomen or chest. Enlarged lymph nodes in the chest can cause secondary symptoms of cough and difficulty breathing. In the abdomen, enlarged lymph nodes can cause abdominal pain, with or without vomiting. Other symptoms depend upon the location and extent of spread of the tumour. This information is obtained by performing sophisticated tests on the biopsy specimen.