Many types of lymphoma exist and knowing exactly which type you have is key to developing an effective treatment plan. Research shows that having a biopsy sample reviewed by an expert pathologist improves the chances for an accurate diagnosis.
Blood Tests for Lymphoma
Blood tests are essential to accurately diagnosing this complex disease. These tests can show whether you have lymphoma cells or abnormal levels of normal cells: Blood smear: We take a drop of blood and look at it under a microscope.
To diagnose non-Hodgkin lymphoma, NYU Langone doctors perform a biopsy, in which they take a tissue sample from a swollen lymph node found during the physical exam or with imaging tests, such as CT, PET, or MRI, which doctors often use when diagnosing cancer, and evaluate it under a microscope.
COMMON MARKERS OF LYMPHOMA
CD19, Pax-5 and TdT are early B-cell differentiation markers expressed in precursor B-cells. Later, CD20, Pax-5 and CD79a control further B-cell differentiation and, are also considered as markers of B-cell lineage.
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.
Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma or Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.
This is a rare, slow-growing type of lymphoma. It's found mainly in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. This type of lymphoma can't be cured. But people can live with it for many years.
Blood tests are not used to diagnose lymphoma, but they can sometimes help determine how advanced the lymphoma is.
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.
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.
extreme tiredness – tiredness that doesn't go away even after rest or sleep (fatigue) chest pain, cough or breathlessness if there's a swelling in your chest. feeling uncomfortably full or feeling sick caused by a swelling in your stomach area. itching either widespread or in one place.
Lymphoma can be misdiagnosed or fail to be diagnosed if a physician mistakes symptoms for another disease and fails to do a biopsy or blood test. In some cases, blood tests or biopsies can also be erroneously diagnosed as other diseases by pathologists that are not well trained in detecting lymphoma.
A CT scan might show which lymph nodes are enlarged and may be affected by non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). A CT scan is a test that uses x-rays and a computer to create detailed pictures of the inside of your body. It takes pictures from different angles. The computer puts them together to make a 3 dimensional (3D) image.
LDH (lactate dehydrogenase)
This is a normal substance in the blood but it is at higher than normal levels in some types of lymphoma.
A biopsy is the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope. Other tests can suggest that cancer is present, but Hodgkin lymphoma can only be diagnosed after a biopsy of an affected tissue, preferably by removal (or excision) of a lymph node.
Bone marrow exam
Tests and procedures used to diagnose lymphoma include: Physical exam. Your doctor checks for swollen lymph nodes, including in your neck, underarm and groin, as well as a swollen spleen or liver.
Common symptoms of lymphoma
Some people may not have any symptoms at all, and are diagnosed accidentally when having a scan for another medical condition. If you have an aggressive (fast-growing) lymphoma, you will likely notice your symptoms as they develop over a short period of time, such as days to weeks.
In the differential diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy in patients with frequent episodes of tonsillitis, Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease should be taken into account. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease may convincingly mimic symptoms characteristic of lymphoma.
Certain areas of skin may also thicken, harden and form plaques that itch and ulcerate. Typically, these plaques develop on the face or buttocks or within skin folds. As a skin lymphoma rash progresses, papules (small bumps) may start to appear.
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.
The most common sites are in the chest, neck, or under the arms. Hodgkin lymphoma most often spreads through the lymph vessels from lymph node to lymph node. Rarely, late in the disease, it can invade the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, and/or bone marrow.
Burkitt lymphoma is considered the most aggressive form of lymphoma and is one of the fastest growing of all cancers.
Stage 4 lymphoma means that cancer has spread to an organ external to the lymphatic system. The survival rates vary widely depending on an individual's risk factors and type of cancer. The survival rate of stage 4 lymphoma is lower than that of the other stages, but doctors can cure the condition in some cases.