Can lymphoma diagnosis be made with a biopsy of ANY lymph node in the body, or just the enlarged ones? (removal, blood)

[AndyPanda]

Anyone have any experience with biopsies of suspected lymphoma? Does the biopsy ALWAYS have to be of an enlarged node? Can other, nearby non-enlarged nodes show cancer cells? My mother has enlarged nodes in her lung, and the biopsy in that area is difficult. Thank you for your responses.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by AndyPanda

Anyone have any experience with biopsies of suspected lymphoma? Does the biopsy ALWAYS have to be of an enlarged node? Can other, nearby non-enlarged nodes show cancer cells? My mother has enlarged nodes in her lung, and the biopsy in that area is difficult. Thank you for your responses.

Lymphoma - Non-Hodgkin: Diagnosis | Cancer.Net

"Biopsy. A biopsy is the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope. This tissue may be removed using a fine needle, a cutting needle, or surgery. To diagnose lymphoma, tissue is usually taken from the lymph nodes in the neck, under an arm, or in the groin. A biopsy may also be taken from the chest or abdomen using a fine needle during a computed tomography scan (CT scan, see below) or from the stomach or intestine during an endoscopy. An endoscopy is a test that allows the doctor to see inside the body with a thin, lighted, flexible tube. A biopsy of the skin may also be needed depending on the suspected subtype of lymphoma.

A biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis of lymphoma and find out the subtype. Having enough tissue is very important to make a diagnosis. Very rarely, needle biopsy samples are sufficient to make a definite diagnosis of lymphoma. In most cases, a core biopsy or surgical biopsy is needed to remove enough tissue to diagnose and classify the lymphoma correctly. The tissue sample removed during the biopsy should be analyzed by a pathologist or a hematopathologist who is experienced in diagnosing lymphoma. A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in interpreting laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues, and organs to diagnose disease. A hematopathologist is a pathologist who has extra training in the diagnosis of blood cancers. Because there are so many subtypes of lymphoma and because some of these subtypes are very uncommon or rare, getting a second opinion may be helpful."

Your mom's doctor will decide the best place to biopsy.

Hope all goes well. Stay strong.

[Aredhel]

Originally Posted by AndyPanda

Anyone have any experience with biopsies of suspected lymphoma? Does the biopsy ALWAYS have to be of an enlarged node? Can other, nearby non-enlarged nodes show cancer cells?.

They can, but it's not very likely. Most of the time only the enlarged nodes are affected (which is why they are enlarged). If your mother has mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy, those are the nodes that need to be biopsied in order to figure out what's going on, even if they are hard to reach.