Diagnosing Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a disease that attacks the lymph system of the body, causing cancerous tumors to spread throughout the body, wreaking havoc on organs and lymph nodes alike. There are two types of lymphoma, and the most commonly occurring type is known as Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. This disease has a somewhat low survival rate, sadly, with the 5-year survival rate for the disease resting at 53%. Hope is not gained throughout the years, also, as the 10-year survival rate is 43% and the 15-year survival rate is 37%. With that in mind, it’s important to get Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosed when it is in it’s earliest of stages in order to ensure that the damage that the disease does to your body can be somewhat limited.
One terrible factor about Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the lack of sufficient symptoms. Studies place approximately 75 percent of all lymphoma victims as having experienced no symptoms of the disease whatsoever. There are a few things to watch for when it comes to the disease but they are symptoms that could be present for a host of reasons. Of those who have symptoms of lymphoma, one of the most common warning signs are swollen lymph nodes. More often than not, cases of lymphoma are diagnosed when a doctor takes a look at a chest x-ray and sees abnormalities. When a doctor thinks that lymphoma may be present, they often ask that you provide them with a complete medical history of yourself. Don’t be too afraid yet; the doctors want to weigh the possible risk factors that you face when it comes to the disease so that they can more accurately diagnose whether or not the disease is actually present. Once the doctor has a basic idea of what your medical history is, they will often ask to perform a physical examination to note the condition of your body. They will test the firmness and note the location and sizes of your lymph nodes to see exactly how serious the problem seems to be.
If the doctor believes that lymphoma may be present, they will often ask to perform a biopsy. In the biopsy, they will remove a small piece of your lymph tissue so that a pathologist can note the condition of the lymph material. They will note the appearance of any Reed-Sternberg cells, which can denote that you may have Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The biopsy can be performed via many different tools; one type of biopsy is known as an FNA biopsy. In an FNA biopsy, doctors place a hollow needle inside a syringe and note the presence of any enlarged lymph nodes that may appear near the surface of the body. If they are present, they will take a cell sample from the node into the syringe. For deeply-seated lymph nodes, doctors may employ the use of a computed tomography exam in order to accurately get the needle into where it needs to go. Surgical biopsies are another method of obtaining material to test for lymphoma; they are known as incisional biopsies if the doctor needs to cut into the body to remove the lymph sample. Excisional biopsies are performed when the lump can be completely removed via surgery; this can sometimes eliminate the problem.
Now that you know more about the way that doctors can test for lymphoma, you can better understand the severity of the situation and realize how important it can be to ensure that lymphoma is not affecting your health. Don’t hesitate to call a doctor if you think that you may have a case of lymphoma; the sooner you address the problem, the better off you’ll be.
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