Lymphoma with normal CBC? - Lymphomas Message Board

Deb401 · 05-30-2004, 06:59 AM

Hi - my question is could an enlarged lymph node turn out to be cancer if your blood results all came back normal? My doctor felt 2 enlarged nodes in my left neck and I'm seeing a surgeon this week to follow up but in the meantime my blood came back normal - just wondering if this should relax me or I should still be alittle nervous with an enlarged lymph node that I didn't find and no real other symptoms. (When people talk about "itching" as a symptom - is there a specific place on the body or anywhere because I have been scratching my stomach alot) Thanks.

ysco · 05-30-2004, 08:19 AM

Hi Deb401,

Yes, in theory enlarged nodes can turn out to be lymphoma even though your CBC is normal.

As you did not include other helpful details (such as, how big your nodes are? are they painful or painless? do they continuously increase in size? are they hard/soft? are they fixed/mobile?) I do not have any basis to make a personal assumption whether your nodes sound worrisome or not. Also, have you been experiencing fever and/or weight loss recently?

Either way, you shouldn't be nervous! Enlarged nodes are very common and there are hundreds more likely causes other than lymphoma.

Pertaining to the itching - this is a very nonspecific symptom. Usually in lymphomas the induced itching is called "generalized itching" or "pruritus", meaning it often occurs throughout the body, not necessarily at one specific place. Anyway, this symptom particularly has thousands of more likely causes than lymphoma.

hope this helps.

nyxin · 05-30-2004, 09:13 AM

i just wanted to add my 2 cents. if your dictor did a CBC with a liver function panel, and your globulin was normal, then no, it isn't lymphoma. lymphoma causes a spike in the globulin that is very very obvious. i do agree with the other poster that you didn't mention any other symptoms other than the itching such as your node history as well as fever, fatiuge, weight loss, night sweats ect.....

the reason i know this isn't because i am a doctor, it's because i have illness anxiety---meaning if i feel that my throat is getting sore then i am sure it's lymphoma, or a stomach ache, colon caner, a head ache is a tumor. nice huh? i have a client that is a P.A. who i make check out every little irregularity i can muster up. the one thing he did say about lymphoma is that if you are going to get cancer, lymphoma is the one with the highest recovery.