Diagnosis of Lymphoma

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The diagnosis of lymphoma is made following a biopsy. A biopsy involves removing some of the affected tissue, or the whole enlarged lymph node. The cells are then examined under the microscope.

The appearance of the cells will determine what kind of lymphoma you have.

A lymphoma is classified as Hodgkin lymphoma if a certain type of cell can be seen under the microscope. This cell is known as the Reed-Sternberg cell. It is large and has more than one nucleus.

Non Hodgkin lymphomas are classified according to the appearance of the cells, the kind of cell that has become malignant and the chemical and genetic characteristics of the malignant cell. Large cells tend to grow quickly and small cells tend to grow slowly.

All of this information is used when deciding on treatment.

Other tests are carried out at the time of diagnosis. These tests include:

Blood count
X-ray
CT scan

The tests carried out at the time of diagnosis will be used to calculate how advanced the disease is. This is referred to as the â€˜stageâ€™ of the disease. The stage of the disease is an important factor in choosing the best treatment.