Injury guide
Updated Oct 6, 202632 sources
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph system. Here is how it is found, which records show it, and what the Roundup and Camp Lejeune claims say.
These are cited sources. Their inclusion does not imply that they endorse People’s Justice or reviewed this page.
Judge Vince Chhabria · U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California · Judge over the federal Roundup cases (MDL No. 2741), on the opinions of Dr. Portier, Dr. Ritz and Dr. Weisenburger; a ruling on which experts may testify, not a finding that glyphosate causes NHL
“But the Court concludes that the opinions of these experts, while shaky, are admissible.”
N.D. Cal.: Roundup MDL Pretrial Order No. 45 (July 10, 2018) (opens in a new tab) · Jul 10, 2018 · Checked Oct 5, 2026
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Publisher of the glyphosate pesticide page
Finding: In its 2017 assessment, EPA concluded that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans; it is updating that evaluation, with completion anticipated in late 2026.
EPA: Glyphosate (opens in a new tab) · Aug 26, 2026 · Checked Oct 5, 2026
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Publisher of the Camp Lejeune health effects summary
Finding: ATSDR lists non-Hodgkin lymphoma among health effects with sufficient evidence for causation for TCE and for benzene, and as equipoise and above for PCE.
ATSDR (CDC): Health effects linked with TCE, PCE, benzene and vinyl chloride (opens in a new tab) · Nov 12, 2024 · Checked Oct 5, 2026
National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences · Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2018
Read the source: Glyphosate use and cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study (opens in a new tab) · Checked Oct 5, 2026
Not covered by this case
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that forms in the lymph system, which is part of the immune system. Most types start in white blood cells called B cells. There are many types, and some grow much faster than others.
The lymph system includes lymph nodes, the spleen, the thymus and bone marrow. A clear fluid called lymph carries white blood cells through it.
MedlinePlus says doctors most often do not know why a person gets it. NCI lists older age, being male, and a weak immune system as risk factors.
A common sign is swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, groin or belly. Other signs include fever, soaking night sweats, weight loss and feeling very tired. These signs have many other causes too.
NCI says to check with your doctor if you have any of these signs, such as a fever or weight loss with no known reason. Itchy skin, a rash, or pain in the chest, belly or bones with no clear cause are on its list too.
Before your visit, list your symptoms, when they began, and what you want to ask.
Doctors take out all or part of a swollen lymph node. This is called a biopsy. A pathologist checks the tissue under a microscope, and lab tests on the cells help find the type of lymphoma.
Doctors also use blood tests, a CT scan and a PET scan. NCI says these tests help diagnose the cancer and find out how far it has spread. Some people also have a bone marrow biopsy, often from the hip bone.
MedlinePlus says doctors diagnose lymphoma with a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray and a biopsy.
The pathology report on the lymph node or bone marrow gives the diagnosis and the type. Special lab tests on the cells back it up. Scan reports, such as CT and PET, help show how far it has spread. Blood test reports belong in the file too.
The type matters, because there are many kinds of this cancer. NCI says the pathology report holds the final diagnosis, made by a doctor who studies tissue.
Camp Lejeune veterans who apply to VA need medical records that show the condition. You can ask your providers for copies of your own records and images. They cannot refuse because you have not paid a bill.
Experts do not agree about glyphosate, the weed killer in Roundup. In 2015, a world cancer group said it probably can cause cancer in people. In 2017, EPA said that is not likely. For Camp Lejeune, a CDC agency found enough evidence to say two chemicals in the water can cause this cancer.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer called glyphosate “probably carcinogenic to humans.” In its 2017 review, EPA concluded that glyphosate is “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” In 2022, a federal appeals court set aside the health part of a later EPA decision, and EPA withdrew that decision. EPA says it is updating its review, with completion expected in late 2026.
A big NIH study followed 54,251 pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina. It found that “no association was apparent” between glyphosate and lymphoid cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In 2018, the judge over the federal Roundup cases let three experts for the people suing testify that glyphosate can cause this cancer. He kept out two others. He called the three experts’ views shaky but let a jury weigh them. That ruling was not a finding that glyphosate causes the disease.
ATSDR, part of CDC, rated the evidence as sufficient for causation for TCE and for benzene, both found in the base water. The National Cancer Institute says only that TCE “may be associated with” this cancer. These findings are about the chemicals, not about any one person.
In June 2026, three of the four Camp Lejeune judges ruled only on what standard experts may use to judge cause. A fourth judge will decide this in her own cases. In the federal court records we checked, we found no ruling that the water caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
People who say Roundup caused their non-Hodgkin lymphoma have filed claims. So have people who say the water at Camp Lejeune caused it. This page cannot tell you whether you could bring a claim.
The federal Roundup cases were grouped in a California court in 2016. They also claim Monsanto did not warn people or regulators about the risk.
In the Camp Lejeune cases, the court picked non-Hodgkin lymphoma as one of five illnesses for its first group of cases. The court said this choice does not judge whether any claim is right. A 2023 government guide for a faster way to resolve some claims lists it as well. DOJ now says it is not taking more papers for that process.
See each case page for the latest news.
Several federal benefit programs list this cancer. VA’s Camp Lejeune and Agent Orange lists name it, and VA’s PACT Act list includes “lymphoma of any type.” These programs have their own rules and are separate from lawsuits.
VA treats it as a presumptive condition for veterans who served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and were not dishonorably discharged. Their family members who lived there may get help paying for care. VA’s Agent Orange list names non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the PACT Act list covers lymphoma of any type for some veterans. A listed illness alone does not make someone eligible; VA also checks service rules. A lawyer or claims agent who helps with a VA claim must be accredited by VA. Help from an accredited veterans group is always free. Accredited lawyers and agents can generally charge only for help given after VA’s first decision on the claim. They also need a fee agreement signed by you and them. VA’s website has a search tool to find an accredited representative.
For its members, the WTC Health Program lists cancers of the blood and lymphoid tissue, including lymphoma. It covers the cancer only after it certifies it, which means it decides the cancer is related to the person’s 9/11 exposure and meets its rules. RECA lists lymphomas other than Hodgkin’s disease for some people who lived downwind of, or were on site at, U.S. atmospheric nuclear tests, and for some people who lived near Manhattan Project waste. It says claims must be filed by December 31, 2027. EEOICPA lists the same group of lymphomas for some nuclear weapons workers in its Special Exposure Cohort.
You can ask your doctor to send your records to a family member or caregiver. Someone you name in a health care power of attorney to make health care decisions for you can also get related records. A parent can usually act for a child who is a minor.
After a death, the estate’s executor or administrator, or another person with authority under state law, may get the records needed for that role. A provider is allowed, but not required, to share related facts with a relative who helped with the person’s care or helped pay for it, unless the person had said not to.
If someone died, the wrongful death case page explains in general how those claims work.
Checked against 32 primary sources by People's Justice editors · Updated
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