Lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in the lymphocytes, which are the immune system’s infection-fighting cells. The cells are located in the thymus, lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, and other body areas. In lymphoma, the growth of the lymphocytes is haywire, which disturbs the body’s normal functioning. Now, let us take a look at the signs and diagnosis of lymphoma.

Signs
At times, lymphoma might not show any symptoms, especially when the cancer is still in the initial stages. However, symptoms usually start with a swelling in the lymph nodes. An enlarged lymph node can be detected with the help of a physical examination. Initially, they will feel like soft, small nodules beneath the skin. Lymphoma can appear in the chest, neck, armpit, stomach, and groin.

There are also some common, unspecific symptoms that often get overlooked, making it harder to detect or diagnose the disease early. Some common signs that one should watch out for are:

• Cough
• Bone pain
• Enlarged spleen
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Pain on alcohol consumption
• Night sweats
• Itchy rashes
• Incomprehensible weight loss
• Stomach ache
• Breathlessness

Diagnosis
There are several procedures and tests that may be used to diagnose lymphoma. These include:

• Physical examination
  Initially, the doctor will conduct a physical examination and try to look for any swollen lymph nodes. They will examine the groin, underarm, and neck, among other areas.

• Biopsy
  In this method, a lymph node will be removed by the doctor for testing. They will recommend the biopsy procedure to remove a part or whole of the lymph node for lab testing. In advanced tests, this helps to easily determine if lymphoma cells are present in the body, and even their type.
• Bone marrow biopsy
  In addition to the lymph node, the doctor might also perform a biopsy procedure for the bone marrow. Under this, a needle is injected into the bone, and a sample of it is extracted. It is done to determine the presence of lymphoma cells in the bone marrow.

• Blood tests
  The doctor will also perform a few blood tests to examine the number of cells in one’s blood sample. It helps them diagnose the disease faster and better.

• Imaging tests
  The doctor might also suggest a few imaging tests in order to look for the symptoms of lymphoma in other body areas. For this, they may require a number of tests, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computerized tomography (CT) scans.

A thorough understanding of the signs and diagnosis of lymphoma is vital to ensure that it is treated before the cancer aggravates.