The disease may be diagnosed after:
Biopsy of suspected tissue, usually a lymph node biopsy
Bone marrow biopsy
If tests reveal you do have Hodkin's lymphoma, additional tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. Staging helps guide future treatment and follow-up and gives you some idea of what to expect in the future.
The following procedures will usually be done:
Blood chemistry tests including protein levels, liver function tests, kidney function tests, and uric acid level
CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis
Complete blood count (CBC) to check for anemia and white blood count
PET scan
In some cases, abdominal surgery to take a piece of the liver and remove the spleen may be needed. However, because the other tests are now so good at detecting the spread of Hodgkin's lymphoma, this surgery is usually unnecessary.
Cancer Term:(malignant neoplasm) is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth, invasion that intrudes upon and destroys adjacent tissues, and sometimes metastasis, or spreading to other locations in the body via lymph or blood. These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which do not invade or metastasize. Cancer-ar-foundation