Introduction
Since lymph node cancers usually proceed without specific symptoms, the diagnosis is usually made only when the patient notices swollen lymph nodes. There are then various options available to confirm the suspicion. In addition to physical examination, these include blood tests and imaging procedures such as ultrasound, CT or MRI. To finally confirm the diagnosis, a tissue sample should always be taken from the affected lymph node.
Diagnostic measures
There are various possibilities for the diagnosis of lymph gland cancer. First and foremost, there must be a detailed patient survey, which gives answers about the beginning and duration as well as the type of symptoms. This is followed by the physical examination, which consists of inspection and palpation of lymph node stations.
The physical examination is usually followed by a blood test, which is usually conspicuous in lymph node cancer. This can lead to an increase in inflammatory cells in the blood, which include the CRP and also the white blood cells (leukocytes). Furthermore, the so-called blood sedimentation rate is significantly increased.
All these abnormalities are not proof of lymph gland cancer, but they do indicate a disease that should be examined more closely. Both in the case of very conspicuous values and in the case of inconspicuous blood values with clear, painless lymph node swelling, further examinations should be arranged. Imaging procedures include those examinations that can produce an image of the inside of the body, e.g. X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI and some others.
If abnormal lymph nodes have already been seen during the physical examination, an ultrasound can also be made of these nodes. This examination is not painful and is not associated with radiation, so it is often used to better assess suspicious lymph nodes. If the findings are unclear, an MRI or CT examination can be performed afterwards, which may reveal further enlarged lymph nodes.
All findings from blood tests, ultrasound CT or MRI are collected and evaluated at the end. If lymph gland cancer has already been diagnosed, a CT examination of the chest and abdomen is performed to look for further enlarged lymph nodes, which may represent a metastasis of the lymph gland cancer. This measure is called staging, i.e. the spread of the cancer is determined.
Lymph node biopsies, i.e. a tissue sample taken from the suspected lymph node, then confirm the diagnosis of lymph node cancer and allow a distinction to be made between the different types. This is very important because some infections can also cause permanently swollen, painless lymph nodes (e.g. tuberculosis, syphilis, etc. ), in which case no cancer treatment would be necessary.
In addition, tissue examination under the microscope (histology) can determine the exact type of lymph node cancer and thus initiate a more appropriate therapy. The different types are also associated with different chances of cure. You can find more information here: Lymph gland cancer chances of recovery A further staging is then performed to show which regions of the body are affected. Afterwards, appropriate treatment should be planned and started immediately.
