| Lymphoma is a highly problematic disease that | | | | the lymphoid lesions. The morphological |
| raises serious impediments in the process of | | | | characteristics of the lymph nodes and tissues |
| diagnosis. Considering the fact that it can occur in | | | | provide doctors with valuable data on the disease, |
| a variety of forms and produce a wide spectrum | | | | helping them distinguish benign forms of |
| of unspecific symptoms, lymphoma is usually | | | | lymphoma from the malignant ones. Although |
| diagnosed with the aid of many different | | | | morphological investigations are crucial in the |
| techniques. In order to establish the accurate | | | | process of diagnosing lymphoma, doctors often |
| diagnosis, pathologists need to analyze the disease | | | | choose to further analyze the tissue samples by |
| from multiple angles. Morphological traits, as well as | | | | performing phenotypic and genotypic tests. |
| the genotype and phenotype of the lymphoid | | | | In order to determine the phenotype of the |
| lesions should sometimes be carefully analyzed in | | | | lymphoid cells, doctors conduct a series of tests |
| the process of diagnosis. The administration of | | | | that are commonly referred to as cell marker |
| lymphoma treatments and therapies can only | | | | analysis. The procedure characteristic to these |
| begin after patients with suspected lymphoma are | | | | tests involves the use of different antibodies for |
| given the correct diagnosis. | | | | revealing clear cell markers carried by malignant |
| In order to reveal evidence of the disease in | | | | lymphatic cells. These tests offer doctors clear |
| patients with suspected malignant lymphoma, | | | | information about the causative cells and help in |
| doctors often perform a series of preliminary | | | | determining the exact type of lymphoma. |
| tests. These tests include blood analyses, | | | | Although they can also reveal the presence of |
| elaborate physical examinations (enlargement of | | | | Hodgkin's Disease, cell marker tests are |
| the lymph nodes often suggests the presence of | | | | commonly used to identify Non-Hodgkin's |
| lymphoma) and sometimes local biopsies of the | | | | Lymphoma subtypes. Such tests are used to |
| bone marrow. | | | | detect whether the lymphoma is caused by |
| Tissue biopsies can provide cancer specialists with | | | | abnormal activity of B-cells or T-cells and how |
| valuable data regarding the type of lymphoma, | | | | mature the causative cells are. |
| the type of cells involved in causing the disease, | | | | In rare cases, only genotypic studies can help |
| the progression rate of the lymphoma, as well as | | | | doctors determine if the lymphoid lesions are |
| the prognosis of the affected patient. In order to | | | | benign or malignant. Genotypic tests involve |
| reveal whether the lymphoid lesions are of benign | | | | elaborate analyses of the cells' genetic |
| or malign nature, pathologists analyze the tissue | | | | composition and comprise a series of different |
| samples from multiple perspectives: overall cell | | | | methods: cytogenetic analyses, the polymerized |
| appearance under the microscope (morphological | | | | chain reaction method and the Southern blot |
| examination), exact cell subtype (phenotype | | | | hybridization analysis. Despite the fact that such |
| analysis) and genetic provenience (genotype | | | | tests provide doctors with detailed information on |
| analysis). If the analyzed lymphoid lesions prove to | | | | lymphoma, they are also time consuming and |
| be malignant, doctors will begin the administration | | | | costly. Due to these disadvantages, they are only |
| of chemotherapeutic drugs soon after the type | | | | performed under special circumstances, when all |
| of lymphoma is properly classified. | | | | other tests fail to reveal conclusive data on |
| A major stage in diagnosing lymphoma consists in | | | | lymphoma. |
| carefully analyzing the morphological features of | | | | |