Main Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Hodgkin's Disease | Resource Guide
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history and perform a physical exam, paying carefully attention to your lymph nodes. Most enlarged or swollen lymph nodes are caused by an infection, not lymphomas. If infection is suspected, you may be given an antibiotic medication and instructed to return for re-examination. If swelling persists, your doctor may order a lymph node biopsy.
For a lymph node biopsy , your doctor will remove all or part of one of your lymph nodes. A pathologist will examine this tissue sample under a microscope. The biopsy can show whether or not there is cancer and the type and extent of cancer. A specific type of cell, called Reed-Sternberg cell, is associated with Hodgkin’s lymphoma .
If cancer is found, your prognosis and treatment depend on the location, size, and stage of the cancer, as well as your general health. Staging is an evaluation to determine whether the cancer has spread and, if it has, what body parts are affected.
Your doctor considers the following factors to determine the stage of Hodgkin's disease:
Additional tests to determine staging may include:
Stages have an “A” and a “B” level. In Stage B, a person with Hodgkin's lymphoma experiences general symptoms from the disease—fever, night sweats, or significant weight loss. If these specific symptoms are not present, the classification is "A."
Relapsed/refractory is the term used for a cancer that has persisted or returned following treatment.
References:
Hodgkin lymphoma. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/hodgkin . Accessed April 24, 2009.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website. Available at: http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls. Accessed April 24, 2009.
Last reviewed April 2009 by Igor Puzanov, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2007 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.