Multiple myeloma and lymphoma both originate in white blood cells and have some overlapping symptoms. Yet, these blood cancers also differ in key ways, particularly in prevalence (how common they are), diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis (outlook).

Learning more about how your blood cancer is related to similar conditions can help you feel more knowledgeable about your own diagnosis. In this article, we’ll discuss four similarities and four differences between myeloma and lymphoma.

What Is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes, or B cells and T cells. These cells are an important part of your immune system — they help fight infections and keep you from getting sick.

Lymphoma occurs when lymphocytes develop genetic mutations, or changes, that cause them to grow and divide uncontrollably and survive longer than they should.

As these abnormal cells multiply, they can build up in your lymph nodes, bone marrow, blood, and other tissues throughout the body, interfering with how your lymphatic system and other affected organs work.

Types of Lymphoma

There are two main types of lymphoma: non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma. Around 90 percent of all lymphomas are NHL, which has more than 70 subtypes.

NHL can occur at any age, but it’s more common in older adults. On the other hand, Hodgkin lymphoma is more common in adolescents and young adults.

Similarities Between Lymphoma and Myeloma

Lymphoma and myeloma share several symptoms, risk factors, and treatments.

While lymphoma and myeloma are different blood cancers, they share some overlapping symptoms. These two conditions may cause:

• Anemia or low red blood cell count, which causes fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath
• Frequent or severe infections
• Abdominal pain and loss of appetite
• Weight loss

It’s important not to mistake having these symptoms for having both cancers. It’s possible to have both lymphoma and myeloma at the same time, but it is very rare.

As we age, our DNA develops new mutations that can build up and lead to cancer. In general, cancer affects older individuals, which is true for both NHL and myeloma.

While some types of NHL are among the more common childhood cancers, more than 50 percent of people are 65 years or older when they receive an NHL diagnosis, according to the American Cancer Society.

In the United States, the average age for a myeloma diagnosis is 69 years. That said, Hodgkin lymphoma is most common in younger adults, but your risk of developing it increases again after age 55.

Taking into account both childhood and adult cases, the average age of a person with Hodgkin lymphoma is between 38 and 39 years old.

NHL and myeloma share several risk factors apart from age. Other overlapping risk factors may include:

• Being male, as males may be more likely to develop lymphoma and myeloma than females
• Family history, as having a parent or sibling with the condition may increase risk
• Having a higher body weight, which, in some cases, may be associated with NHL and myeloma
• Radiation exposure from nuclear reactor accidents or previous radiation therapy for treating another type of cancer

Exposure to chemicals like benzene from tobacco smoke or pesticides may also be associated with NHL and certain lymphoma subtypes, although research on the possible connection for both cancers is ongoing.

Depending on your cancer type, subtype, individual health, and stage of lymphoma or myeloma, you may not need treatment right away. If you have slow-growing cancer, like some types of NHL, your doctor may recommend monitoring your condition to see if it progresses.

On the other hand, aggressive cancers need immediate treatment. Common options for NHL, Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma treatment include:

• Chemotherapy
• Stem cell transplant
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapies

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is another treatment sometimes used for selected relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas and multiple myeloma. However, it isn’t a routine treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma, where it remains under study.

Differences Between Lymphoma and Myeloma

Despite their similarities, these two types of blood cancer begin in different areas, are diagnosed using some different tests, and don’t occur with the same frequency.

They also differ in outlook, or a prediction of how the disease will progress and how long someone might live with it.

One key difference between lymphoma and myeloma is the site where the cancer starts growing. Lymphoma typically forms in the lymphatic tissue, including lymph nodes, the spleen, and bone marrow, while myeloma forms in the bone marrow.

A common symptom of lymphoma is swollen lymph nodes, especially in your neck, groin, and armpits. You may also have “B symptoms,” like drenching night sweats, unexplained weight loss, and fever.

Myeloma happens when too many myeloma cells crowd out bone marrow, forming tumors and damaging bone. Your first multiple myeloma symptom may be bone pain, especially in your arms, legs, chest, spine, or pelvis.

Extra M protein made by myeloma cells can also damage your kidneys. This can lead to leg swelling, shortness of breath, and itchy skin.

According to the National Cancer Institute, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common than myeloma, with close to 19 new cases of NHL per 100,000 people each year, compared with about seven new cases per 100,000 people for myeloma.

Another major difference is that lymphoma — particularly Hodgkin lymphoma — is more common in children than myeloma. Together, NHL and Hodgkin lymphoma account for about 13 percent of childhood cancer, while myeloma is rare.

The prognosis or life expectancy for people living with lymphoma and myeloma also varies. The American Cancer Society discusses outlook using a five-year relative survival rate, which compares people with a type of cancer to the general U.S. population.

For example, the relative five-year survival rate for all stages of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a type of NHL, is 70 percent. This means that after their diagnosis, people who have DLBCL are 70 percent as likely as the general population to live five years or more.

The five-year relative survival rate for all Hodgkin lymphoma stages is 89 percent, and it’s 62 percent for all myeloma stages.

While these numbers are averages, many factors play a role in life expectancy with these blood cancers, including someone’s age and overall health, as well as their cancer stage.

Blood cancer diagnosis begins with a physical exam and a discussion with your doctor about your symptoms, family history, and medical history. Based on that exam, your doctor may order different tests to diagnose lymphoma or myeloma.

To diagnose lymphoma, doctors may order several tests, including:

• A lymph node biopsy
• Imaging tests, such as MRI and CT scans
• Blood tests to check liver and kidney function

Tests for myeloma may include:

• Blood tests to check blood cell counts, calcium levels, and kidney function
• A special test called serum protein electrophoresis, which checks a blood sample for abnormal myeloma antibodies
• Urine tests, such as urine protein electrophoresis
• Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, to detect the abnormal plasma cells
• Imaging tests, such as a bone scan, CT scans, MRIs, and positron emission tomography scans

As you can see, although lymphoma and myeloma are both blood cancers and share some symptoms, they do have specific differences. Understanding these differences and your own diagnosis can help you have more informed conversations with your care team.