There are many different types of lymphoma. Lymphomas are put into different categories - or classified - after a pathologist looks at the cells under a microscope and performs various tests.
The appearance of the cells gives an indication of how they will behave. Other tests give the pathologist information about the molecules present on the lymphoma cell, and the changes to its DNA. All this information helps to put the lymphoma into a particular category.
Once these tests are completed, the pathologist can tell your specialist whether you have Hodgkin lymphoma or a non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and how the disease may affect you. This information is very important for planning your treatment.
The diagnosis of lymphoma can be difficult. There are other diseases that look similar under the microscope and pathologists might see very few cases of lymphoma in a year.It is now recommended that specialist pathologists review all suspected cases of lymphoma.
You can read more about how lymphoma is classified by clicking here
