I'm being tested to see if I might have lymphoma or some other type of cancer. I got one blood test result back and was wondering if anyone could interpret this. Bye the way, I'm in Canada so that might affect the reading. But anyhow what does RDW mean? The normal count is between 11.5-14.5, my count was 15.1 and the column has "HI" beside it. Again just wondering what this means in relation to a potential illness. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I'm being tested to see if I might have lymphoma or some other type of cancer. I got one blood test result back and was wondering if anyone could interpret this. Bye the way, I'm in Canada so that might affect the reading. But anyhow what does RDW mean? The normal count is between 11.5-14.5, my count was 15.1 and the column has "HI" beside it. Again just wondering what this means in relation to a potential illness. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
RDW stands for red cell distribution width. It is an incidental finding. It is saying that within the given range they are using, that the red blood cells are widely distributed within the sample of blood they are testing. This information is just a bit relevant in a search for signs of anemia but is not particularly relevant in lymphoma diagnosis.
In lymphoma, the most important test is the result of the biopsy of a lymphnode that comes back positive for cancer or for the evidence of Reed-Sternberg cells. There is a possibility of anemia being associated with Lymphoma but it is not the primary symptom that defines Lymphoma.