What Is Lymphoma of the Lungs?

Lymphoma is a group of different cancers, which are known as pulmonary lymphoma when these cancers occur in the lungs, according to John Hopkins Medicine. There are two general categories of lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, which normally start out as cancer of the lymph system.

Most lymphoma that occurs in the lungs is considered secondary pulmonary lymphoma, as these cancers begin in the lymph nodes or other lymph tissue and then spread out to the lungs and other organs, explains Radiopaedia. In very rare cases, some types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can start in the lungs and not involve the lymph nodes. In this case, the cancer is referred to as primary pulmonary lymphoma.