When To Call a Doctor
Call your doctor to schedule an appointment if you have had any symptoms for longer than 2 weeks, such as:
- Painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin.
- Unexplained fever.
- Drenching night sweats.
- Extreme fatigue.
- Unexplained weight loss in the past 6 months.
- Itchy skin.
- Cough or shortness of breath.
- Pain in the abdomen or back.
Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting (surveillance) is a period after the diagnosis of some types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) when little or no treatment is used. Watchful waiting is not appropriate for aggressive or high-grade lymphoma. Watchful waiting does not mean that your doctor is giving up or refusing to give you treatment. During this time you will:
- Have regularly scheduled appointments with your doctor.
- Receive periodic medical tests, including scans and blood tests.
- Be told which symptoms to report to your doctor immediately.
Watchful waiting is often as effective as immediate aggressive treatment for some types of NHL. People with advanced low-grade, indolent lymphomas often live a long time without symptoms.3, 4
Watchful waiting ends when one of the following occurs:
- Symptoms develop.
- Lymphoma tumor size is larger than 2 in. (5.1 cm) and growing.
- Organs do not function normally.
Who To See
Doctors who can help diagnose non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) include:
When NHL is suspected, a tissue sample (biopsy) is needed to make a diagnosis. A biopsy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is usually taken from a lymph node, but other tissues may be sampled as well. A surgeon will remove a sample of tissue so that a pathologist can examine it under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is usually treated by a medical oncologist or a hematologist. If you require radiation therapy, you will also see a radiation oncologist.
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
