Non-Hodgkin lymphoma may occur in a single lymph node, a group of lymph nodes, or in another organ. This type of cancer can spread to almost any part of the body, including the liver, bone marrow, and spleen (non-contiguous spread).
Either of the following means the disease is stage I: The lymphoma is in only 1 lymph node area or lymphoid organ such as the tonsils (I). The cancer is found only in 1 area of a single organ outside of the lymph system (IE).
Staging refers to where the tumor is contained and where it has spread. The stages of NHL are: Stage I. In Stage I (early disease), lymphoma is found in only one lymph node area or in only one area or organ outside the lymph nodes.
The most common symptom of cancer in the lymph nodes is that 1 or more lymph nodes become swollen or feel hard. But if there are only a few cancer cells in the lymph nodes, you may not notice any changes. If the swollen lymph nodes are deep inside the chest or tummy (abdomen), you will not be able to see or feel them.
"In general, cancers that have spread to the lymph nodes are typically stage 2 or 3," says Juan Santamaria, MD, Nebraska Medicine surgical oncologist. "Many of these cancers are still treatable and even curable at this stage.
Lymph node status shows whether or not the lymph nodes in the underarm area (axillary lymph nodes) contain cancer: Lymph node-negative means none of the axillary lymph nodes contain cancer. Lymph node-positive means at least one axillary lymph node contains cancer.
Lymph nodes that are around 1 or 2 inches or bigger are not normal and should be carefully inspected by a GP. Because the swollen lymph nodes are often painless, they can sometimes grow in size before a person even notices them.
Swollen lymph nodes that appear suddenly and are painful are usually due to injury or infection. Slow, painless swelling may be due to cancer or a tumor.
Speak to your GP if you have swollen glands and:
they haven't gone down within a few weeks or are getting bigger. they feel hard or don't move when you press them. you also have a sore throat and find it difficult to swallow or breathe.
Hodgkin lymphoma most commonly affects lymph nodes in the neck or in the area between the lungs and behind the breastbone, which is called the mediastinum. It can also begin in groups of lymph nodes under an arm, in the groin, or in the abdomen or pelvis.
The lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes (lymph glands), spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow. Lymphoma can affect all those areas as well as other organs throughout the body.
Peripheral adenopathy that is painless and slowly progressive is the most common clinical presentation in these patients. Spontaneous regression of enlarged lymph nodes can occur in low-grade lymphoma, potentially causing confusion with an infectious condition.
In earlier stages of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, affected lymph nodes are found only on one side of the diaphragm. In more advanced stages of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the disease may be found on both sides of the diaphragm.
Lymph nodes can swell for a variety of reasons and are considered to be enlarged if they are bigger than 1.5 centimeters in diameter, or slightly larger than a pea. Typically, lymph nodes that are enlarged due to lymphoma are much bigger and can grow to be the size of a grape (or larger).
Most cases of lymphadenopathy aren't caused by cancer. Malignancies are reported in as few as 1.1 percent of primary-care patients with swollen lymph nodes, according to a review in American Family Physician.
Apply a warm, wet compress, such as a washcloth dipped in hot water and wrung out, to the affected area. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers.
Often, after an infection has passed, a lymph node or group of nodes that reacted to the infection can remain enlarged for months (reactive adenopathy). While this is a normal process, reactive adenopathy needs to be differentiated from worrisome processes that also can affect lymph nodes.
Normal and benign nodes tend to show central hilar vascularity and central symmetric vascularity. Malignant nodes tend to demonstrate eccentric or absent hilar vascularity, multifocal aberrant vascularity, peripheral perfusion, focal perfusion defects or peripheral subcapsular vascularity[2,3].
Metastasis can be identified in lymph nodes as small as 1 mm. It is of note that 74% of lymph nodes larger than 10 mm were free of cancer (Table 1). All 18 patients with positive nodes measuring 1 or 2 mm had metastases in larger nodes.
A lymphoma lump also tends to be movable under the skin versus hard and unmovable. Lumps can appear in multiple locations on the body at once and in groups. These can show up throughout several years or can occur within just a few days.
If your doctor thinks your swollen lymph nodes could be cancer, tests and imaging can confirm the diagnosis or point to something else. Based on where the cancer might be, you could get a chest X-ray, an ultrasound, a CT scan, or an MRI.
Supraclavicular nodes are the most worrisome for malignancy.
Computed Tomography (CT) Scans
A CT scan of the chest or abdomen can help detect an enlarged lymph node or cancers in the liver, pancreas, lungs, bones and spleen. The noninvasive test is also used to monitor a tumor's response to therapy or detect a return of cancer after treatment.