1.Is pathological diagnosis necessary for lymphoma before treatment?
Yes, because compared with clinical manifestations, peripheral blood tests and imaging examinations, only pathological diagnosis can finally clarify the diagnosis and further typing of lymphoma and guide the clinical treatment and prognosis.
2. Is the pathological diagnosis of lymphoma very complicated compared with other tumors? Is the misdiagnosis rate relatively high?
Because lymphatic tissues and lymph nodes belong to the immune system of the body, the lymphocytes and related auxiliary cell components involved in immunity and their changes in the immune process are very complicated, resulting in the classification and typing of lymphoma being correspondingly complicated. The misdiagnosis rate may be relatively high for pathologists who lack specialized training and experience in lymphoma pathology diagnosis, or for pathology departments that lack corresponding auxiliary detection technology.
3. Once the pathological diagnosis of lymphoma is wrong, does it have a great impact on the subsequent treatment?
If a benign lymph node reactive hyperplasia is misdiagnosed as lymphoma, of course, the impact is very significant because the patient may receive unnecessary chemotherapy. If a lymphoma is misdiagnosed as a benign lesion, in most cases the impact is not as great as in the previous cases, because some lymphomas may be observed at an early stage because the lesion is atypical, and as long as the patient is closely followed up, there will be no so-called “delay”, because an additional 3 months of observation for malignant lymphomas should not have a great impact on the patient’s long-term survival. It should not have much impact on the long-term survival of the patient.
3.Can patients who are not from Beijing Cancer Hospital, especially foreign patients, come to you for pathological diagnosis?
Yes, through the pathology consultation in our hospital.
4.For patients who want to come to Beijing Cancer Hospital for lymphoma pathology diagnosis, what information do they need to bring? What issues need to be noted?
1) Brief medical history and treatment, the results of laboratory tests that have been done, pathology report from local hospital.
(2) All pathological sections, including the immunohistochemical sections that have been done, it is better to bring 15 white smears (or wax blocks) at the same time, so that immunohistochemical or other molecular tests can be done in our department when needed.
5.What is the procedure of pathology diagnosis for foreign patients? Can I go to the pathology department directly?
(1) You need to bring your ID card, because our hospital has a real-name registration system.
(2) You can go to the registration window of the hospital to register for pathology consultation, and then go to the window of the pathology department for the procedures of handing in materials and paying fees.
(3) Since the consultation in our department is on a rotating shift, you need to register a special need number on the day you are not on duty.
6.How long does it take to get the result of lymphoma pathology diagnosis?
Depending on the degree of difficulty of the lesion, the result will be available in about 24 hours for clear cases. For complex and difficult cases, further immunohistochemistry may be required (sometimes even in 2-3 sessions), which will be determined according to the situation at the time. As a pathologist, we understand the patient’s anxiety, but we hope that the patient will also understand the doctor’s work and give him/her sufficient time to make a diagnosis, and for some difficult cases we need to discuss, consult the literature, and access the latest information on the Internet in order to make a correct diagnosis. Do not use the reason of “catching the train” to put pressure on the doctor.
7.What is the approximate cost of lymphoma pathology diagnosis?
(1) The basic diagnosis fee is 160 RMB (except for special registration).
(2) The cost of each immunohistochemistry is RMB 80, and for lymphoma, 10-15 tests are usually done, and the cost of immunohistochemistry is RMB 120 (regardless of the number of tests).