What Is Lymphoma?
8. Imaging
While staging laparotomy and laparoscopy were once the standard of care in some cases of lymphoma, the use of modern imaging has meant that these procedures are no longer needed.
Imaging studies help to accurately stage lymphoma. This includes those such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, positron emission tomography (PET) scans, and more. Imaging studies help determine the bulk of the disease that impact prognosis. Although the definition of bulky disease varies, it generally can be defined as a nodal mass more than 10 cm or a mediastinal mass that is 33% or more than the thoracic diameter when measured at the level of the T5/6 vertebrae. Other potentially beneficial scans include a bone scan, ultrasonography, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and a Gallium scan.
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