Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Diagnosis
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be difficult to diagnose by physical exam alone. Its symptoms – fatigue, fever, night sweats – mimic other illnesses much less serious in nature. If your symptoms have persisted longer than two weeks and if they do not respond to treatment, your WellStar physician may want to conduct a variety of tests to determine whether you have non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Biopsy: Tissue will be removed from an enlarged lymph node and examined under a microscope to look for lymphoma cells.
- X-ray
- PET scans
- CT scans
- MRI scans.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Stages
When non-Hodgkin lymphoma is diagnosed, your WellStar physician will categorize it by the current stage as well as by the type of cells present (B or T) and by whether those cells are fast or slow-growing. The stage describes the progression of teh disease and whether it has spread to other groups of lymph nodes and to distant sites within the body.