A 38-year-old member asked:
What cancers does a lymph node biopsy detect? should healthy people have them?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Liawaty Hoanswered
Hematology and Oncology 25 years experience
Lymph node: All of us have many lymphglands through out or body. Normal lymph glands usually will be less than 1cm.Lymph glands can be enlarged as a reaction to something- like infection, inflammation, malignancy etc.When cancer present, in majority cases, lymph nodes will become the first organ to be affected ( as our immune system is trying to fight the cancer)- before it starting to spread somewhere else.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Gurmukh Singhanswered
Pathology 51 years experience
Many and No.: Lymph node have primary cancers arising in lymphoid tissues, i.E, various types of lymphomas. Tumors from other organs also spread to lymph nodes. Virtually all carcinomas spread to the local and regional nodes.
There is no reason for a healthy person to have a lymph node biopsy.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 31-year-old member asked:
Lymph node biopsy? For every type of cancer, is it standard to do a lyph node biopsy? What does it typically detect?
3 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Geoffrey Rutledgeanswered
Internal Medicine 39 years experience
It : It is not "standard" to do a lymph node biopsy for every type of cancer. A cancer may be diagnosed after having spread to a lymph node from a distant site, e.g. From a lung or stomach. When cancer therapy is possible by a surgical procedure, i.e. It has not spread to surrounding structures from the organ in which it has arisen, it is standard procedure to surgically remove lymph nodes in the region of the cancer to determine if the cancer has spread to the adjacent lymph nodes. The presence or absence of the cancer in these lymph nodes is then used to determine what kind of additional therapy is necessary to aid in "cure" of the cancer. Additional forms of therapy are chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs) and radiation (x-ray therapy).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Which types of cancers does a lymph node biopsy detect?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Shahid Rafiqueanswered
Internal Medicine 46 years experience
Lymphatic spread: Any cancer that has spread into lymphatic system and has reached the lymph node can be detected by lymph node biopsy. Then there are primary cancers of the lymphatic system which can also be easily diagnosed with biopsy.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Dec 16, 2014
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