AIDS-related lymphoma can be diagnosed by performing a series of tests also known as staging. Much more, by doing these tests, the patient can find out if cancer cells have spread within the body, affecting other organs as well. It is important to know that the tests can easily confirm the stage of the disease and in this way the doctor can prescribe the appropriate treatment. Also, AIDS-related lymphoma is usually diagnosed late in the disease.
For starters, a common first procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body is called a PET scan (positron emission tomography scan). First, this procedure involves injecting radionuclide glucose into a vein to show on an image made by the PET scanner where the glucose is being used in the body. So when scanning the body, the malignant tumor cells become brighter because they are more active and absorb more sugar than other healthy cells.
Second, another well-known procedure is computed tomography, also called computed tomography or computerized axial tomography. A CT scan is a procedure that takes a series of images of areas inside the body, showing a clear picture of organs and tissues. Also, a common procedure is a bone marrow biopsy, which involves removing a small piece of bone marrow and bone from the hipbone or breastbone for examination under a microscope.
Also, the stages of AIDS-related lymphoma can include E, which means the cancer is in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes or has spread to tissues beyond, and S means spleen, which means the cancer affected the spleen. In addition to this, there are 4 stages used for those related to AIDS that indicate where the cancer can be found, lymph nodes, organs other than lymph nodes, near the diaphragm or spleen.
People who have the Epstein-Barr virus or whose AIDS-related lymphoma are considered to usually affect the bone marrow and in some cases can lead to complications, such as the spread of cancer to the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, CNS lymphoma that begins in other parts of the body is not considered primary like CNS lymphoma that begins in the brain and spinal cord.