Lymphoma is one of the few types of cancer that can develop and grow in the body without an individual knowing and it is only when the cancer spreads around the body to other organs that obvious symptoms become apparent. There are a number of symptoms that are commonly associated with lymphoma, such as swollen lymph glands, chronic fatigue, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss, however all of these symptoms can and often are caused by much less serious conditions such as a simple infection or the flu.

When the symptoms persist however most sufferers go to the doctor and although the doctor might have suspicions as to their cause he will undoubtedly send the individual for a series of diagnostic tests before confirming the presence of lymphoma. These diagnostic tests may include:

Blood tests: Because lymphoma affects the lymphocyte cells that travel in the blood stream, performing microscopic analysis of these cells can show if they are abnormal in shape and size or if they are present in very large numbers. Occasionally the cancerous lymphocytes will still be confined to the lymph glands and so will not show under the microscope however even during this early stage they release chemicals that are known as cancer markers and specific tests on blood can identify these markers.

CT and MRI scans: These are very high definition imaging techniques that can show just how large a tumor has grown and where in the body secondary tumors have spread to, if indeed they have spread. If the primary lymphoma tumor is in a position to be removed by surgery i.e. by removing the affected lymph glands, then the imaging techniques can help to identify possible complications before the surgery begins so that the surgeon doesnt encounter anything unexpected. They can also help to show how other lymphoma treatments are working because any shrinkage in the tumor size will be apparent when two separate images, taken at different times, are compared. total2page: Pre 1 Next