“Can a CT scan confirm a blood cancer?”
My daughter has pediatric lymphoma. They want to do different tests on her. Can a CT scan confirm a blood cancer?
3 Answers
No
Nothing short of a biopsy will confirm lymphoma. However, a CT scan is important to show the extent of disease and response to therapy.
If there is enough lymphoma to be seen in the lymph nodes, a CT scan can show enlarged lymph nodes - but large lymph nodes can also be due to other things. There are some size criteria. We try and be very sparing in the use of imaging in children because of the risk from radiation.
