How can you tell the difference between lymphoma and leukemia?

Leukemia and lymphoma are both forms of blood cancer, but they affect the body in different ways. The main difference is that leukemia affects the blood and bone marrow, while lymphomas mainly affect the lymph nodes.

How do you rule out leukemia and lymphoma?

By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.

Can lymphoma be mistaken for leukemia?

“The simplest way to think about it is that lymphomas are solid tumors made up of blood cells. This kind of cancer usually causes enlarged lymph nodes or solid masses. Leukemia, on the other hand, is seen in the bloodstream – it’s a liquid kind of cancer and it flows and is pumped around with the blood.”

What’s the difference between non Hodgkins lymphoma and multiple myeloma?

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is the more common of the two, will arise in lymph nodes anywhere in the body. In Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, there is no presence of the Reed-Sternberg cells. Myeloma, which you may often hear referred to as “multiple myeloma”, is the overproduction of abnormal plasma cells in bone marrow.

What blood tests would indicate lymphoma?

Complete blood count (CBC). This test measures the number of blood cells in a sample, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A low level of red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets may indicate that the lymphoma is present in the bone marrow and/or blood.

Which is worse lymphoma or myeloma?

Multiple myeloma (MM) and lymphoma are both cancers that affect cells in a person’s blood. MM is a cancer of plasma cells, while lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes….B-cell lymphomas.