Ross Hutchins has a good chance of beating Hodgkin's lymphoma and returning to tennis, says medical expert Hodgkin's lymphoma is a blood cancer which forms in glands known as lymph nodes. These glands, found in the neck, chest, armpit and groin, are an important part of the body's immune system. Lymph nodes release white blood cells called lymphoid cells into the blood stream in response to infection. In patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma, cancer cells cluster in the lymph nodes and form tumours. In addition to enlarged glands, most commonly in the neck, patients often experience persistent infections, bruising and breathlessness. In later stages, the cancer can spread throughout the body. Possible side effects specific to Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment include fever, rashes, the lung condition fibrosis, ulcers, blisters, headaches and fatigue. These side effects are generally manageable, however, and tend to be short-term. Patients may be affected by other common side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea, hair loss and risk of infection. However, because Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment generally consists of relatively low doses of many different chemotherapy drugs, toxicity is not as high as treatment for other cancers. In some patients, chemotherapy may also be followed by radiotherapy to the areas where the lymph nodes are enlarged. Treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma is generally very successful and around eight out of 10 patients now survive. Young adults, in particular, have an excellent prognosis if diagnosed early and almost all survive. Long-term side effects of treatment are also limited, particularly if radiotherapy is not needed. For more information, visit www.beatingbloodcancers.org.uk