Early Detection: 10 Warning Signs of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

8. Cough and Shortness of Breath

If lymphoma starts in the chest, it can develop in the thymus, an organ between the sternum and the heart. As the cancer grows, it starts compressing the windpipe, which can lead to a cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.

Lymphoma arising in the chest may also compress the nearby superior vena cava, the vein responsible for delivering the blood going from the head and arms back to the heart. This compression might lead to a cough, chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, enlargement of the veins in the head and neck, and bluish discoloration in the head and arm.