Benign etiologies of lymphadenopathy can include infections, autoimmune disorders, drug hypersensitivity reactions, sarcoidosis, and amyloidosis.
Misdiagnosis of Lymphoma
In other cases, pathologists or physicians make a lymphoma diagnosis, when in fact there is a different disease causing similar symptoms or results. Pathologists have recently discovered a non-deadly disease that mimics many symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia are all types of cancer that start in your blood cells. Doctors often call them blood cancers. While these three types of cancer are alike in some ways, they affect different parts of your body.
Many symptoms of lymphoma are also present in other, less serious illnesses, such as an infection like the flu or a common cold.
Lymph Node Biopsy
A specialist removes part or all of a lymph node for testing. Many lymph nodes are close to the skin's surface, so the procedure is usually simple. Pathologists who specialize in blood cancers analyze the tissue under a microscope. The results will determine whether you have lymphoma and what type.
Benign lymphoma is a tumor that develops from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell that fights infection). Benign lymphoma, also called pseudolymphoma or benign lymphoid hyperplasia, is a rare noncancerous (benign) tumor made up of lymphocytes. Unlike other types of lymphoma, benign lymphoma is not cancer.
Blood tests are not used to diagnose lymphoma, but they can sometimes help determine how advanced the lymphoma is.
And it usually begins in lymph nodes of the neck, the chest, under the arms, and progresses in an orderly fashion and predictable fashion to other lymph node sites. This often means that it can be detected and treated early. And it's actually considered one of the most treatable forms of cancer.
Thus, 5% of patients with common B-cell lymphomas and up to 20–40% of patients with less common lymphoma types might be inaccurately diagnosed.
Lymphoma that starts outside the lymph nodes is called 'extranodal' lymphoma. Extranodal lymphoma can cause many different symptoms, such as a swollen liver or spleen, a skin rash, or abnormal blood counts. These varied symptoms can make it difficult to diagnose T-cell lymphomas.
Leukemia and lymphoma are easily confused because they're both types of blood cancer. Leukemia usually occurs in bone marrow, while lymphoma originates in the lymphatic system and mainly targets lymph nodes and lymph tissue.
Low-Grade Lymphoma
These grow so slowly that patients can live for many years mostly without symptoms, although some may experience pain from an enlarged lymph gland. After five to 10 years, low-grade disorders begin to progress rapidly to become aggressive or high-grade and produce more severe symptoms.
CT scans can show up swollen (enlarged) lymph nodes in your body. If you had a CT scan to help diagnose Hodgkin lymphoma, you won't need to have another one. But if you were diagnosed by lymph node biopsy alone, you'll have a CT scan to look for enlarged nodes in other parts of your body.
You might have an ultrasound scan to help diagnose non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Ultrasound scans are useful for looking at individual organs such as the liver and kidneys and showing any changes.
Often regarded as the "silent killer" it is important to address lymphoma symptoms in adults. Lymphoma is one of the most common causes of death from cancer in the United States.
The best way to find lymphoma early is to pay attention to possible signs and symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is enlargement of one or more lymph nodes, causing a lump or bump under the skin which is usually not painful. This is most often on the side of the neck, in the armpit, or in the groin.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is usually treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, although some people may not need treatment straight away. In a few cases, if the initial cancer is very small and can be removed during a biopsy, no further treatment may be needed.
NHL is a difficult disease to diagnose, therefore you may want to get a second opinion by an experienced hematopathologist before you begin treatment. Some types of NHL can be confused with one other. The appropriate treatment depends on having the correct diagnosis.
Overall, the chance that a man will develop NHL in his lifetime is about 1 in 43; for a woman, the risk is about 1 in 53. But each person's risk can be affected by a number of risk factors. NHL can occur at any age.
The best way to find lymphoma early is to pay attention to possible signs and symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is enlargement of one or more lymph nodes, causing a lump or bump under the skin which is usually not painful. This is most often on the side of the neck, in the armpit, or in the groin.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Some types grow very slowly, called low-grade, and don't cause a lot of the system symptoms like fever, infections, and night sweats. Because of this, sometimes non-Hodgkin lymphoma goes undiagnosed for a long time making it harder to treat.