The short answer
Lymphoma risk factors include getting older, a weakened immune system, certain infections such as EBV and HIV, autoimmune disease, and some chemical exposures. Most people diagnosed with lymphoma have none of these risk factors.
Risk factors raise the odds of lymphoma; they do not directly cause it in any one person, and most people diagnosed with lymphoma have no clear risk factor.
A weakened immune system, from HIV, organ transplant medicines, or certain autoimmune diseases, is one of the clearest risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Epstein-Barr virus (the virus that causes mononucleosis) is linked to both Hodgkin lymphoma and some types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma risk rises in two age windows: the 20s, and after age 55. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma becomes more common with older age overall.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
Lymphoma has two main forms, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and each has a somewhat different set of risk factors. In both, most people diagnosed have no clear, identifiable risk factor at all.
Most people with lymphoma cannot point to a specific cause. That is normal, not a gap in their story.
Risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Age. Getting older is a strong risk factor, with most cases in people in their 60s or older.
- Weakened immune system. People who have had an organ transplant and take immune-suppressing medicines, or who have HIV, have a higher risk.
- Autoimmune disease. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are linked to a modestly higher risk, likely because an overactive immune system can affect how lymphocytes grow and divide.
- Certain infections. Helicobacter pylori (linked to a stomach lymphoma called MALT lymphoma), Epstein-Barr virus (linked to Burkitt lymphoma), HIV, hepatitis C, and HTLV-1 (linked to a T-cell lymphoma) all carry documented associations.
- Chemical exposure. Long-term exposure to benzene, and to some herbicides and insecticides, may raise risk. Chemotherapy for an earlier cancer can raise the risk of NHL years later.
- Radiation. Prior radiation treatment, or high-dose exposure such as from an atomic bomb or reactor accident, raises risk.
- Family history. Having a first-degree relative with NHL increases risk somewhat.
- Race and sex. In the United States, White people are somewhat more likely than Black or Asian American people to develop NHL, and it is somewhat more common in men overall, though certain subtypes are more common in women.
Risk factors for Hodgkin lymphoma
- Age. Risk rises in two windows: early adulthood, especially the 20s, and after age 55.
- Epstein-Barr virus / mononucleosis. People who have had mono have a somewhat increased risk, though the connection is not fully explained.
- Weakened immune system. People with HIV, or who take immune-suppressing medicines after a transplant, have a higher risk.
- Family history. Siblings of young people with Hodgkin lymphoma have a slightly higher risk, though family links remain uncommon overall.
- Sex. Hodgkin lymphoma occurs slightly more often in males.
What this means day to day
Because so few of these factors are things a person can change, there is rarely a clear action item attached to a lymphoma risk factor list. The exceptions are for people who already know they have a relevant condition, such as an organ transplant or HIV, where routine monitoring for symptoms is part of established care.
Questions to ask
- Based on my history, are there specific risk factors relevant to me?
- Does my immune status affect my treatment plan?
- Should any of my relatives be aware of a family risk?
Sources
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
Is lymphoma contagious?
No, lymphoma itself is not contagious. Some of the infections linked to a higher lymphoma risk, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or HIV, are contagious, but having those infections does not mean lymphoma will develop. Almost everyone who is infected with EBV, for example, never develops lymphoma.
Does having an autoimmune disease mean I'll get lymphoma?
No. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are linked to a somewhat higher risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, likely because ongoing immune system overactivity can affect how lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, grow and divide. The increase in risk is real but modest, and most people with these conditions never develop lymphoma.
I had mono as a teenager. Does that mean I'm at risk for lymphoma?
Having had mononucleosis (caused by Epstein-Barr virus) is associated with a somewhat increased risk of Hodgkin lymphoma, but the vast majority of people who have had mono never develop lymphoma. The connection is not fully understood.
Can lymphoma be prevented?
Not reliably. Most known risk factors, like age, family history, and past infections, are not things a person can change. This is not something you caused or could have avoided.
Does lymphoma run in families?
It can. Having a first-degree relative (parent, child, or sibling) with non-Hodgkin lymphoma raises risk somewhat, and siblings of young people with Hodgkin lymphoma have a slightly higher risk too. Most people with lymphoma, however, have no family history of it.
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Last updated: 2026-08-03Next planned review: 2027-08-03
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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Related articles
- What Is Lymphoma? Cancer of the Lymph System
- Lymphoma Symptoms: Common Signs and Emergency Warning Signs
- Lymphoma Stages: The Ann Arbor and Lugano Systems Explained
- Hodgkin vs Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: What's the Difference?
- Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms: Common Signs and When to Get Help
- Understanding Cancer Risk Factors
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