Despite the fact scientists don’t know yet what causes childhood non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the following factors appear likely to increase the risk of developing it:

• Gender: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is slightly more common in men
• Race: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is slightly more common in white people
• Bacteria or viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori
• Inherited syndromes

Not every child with risk factors gets non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, if your child has risk factors, you should discuss them with his or her doctor.