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← Return to Lymphocytes on CBC
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I was diagnosed with a B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and have reviewed my lymphocytes and lymphocyte% from the hospital bloodwork at diagnosis prior to the first chemotherapy. Both numbers were below normal range. Biopsies of the tumors and a spinal tap in the hospital were needed to diagnose the lymphoma (I had tumors in the brain and other organs).
I see my oncologist for a follow up next week so will ask about the low lymphocyte values with active lymphoma. I will add an additional comment here if there is anything informative to contribute from my doctor.
Replies to "I was diagnosed with a B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and have reviewed my lymphocytes and lymphocyte% from..."
I asked my hematology oncologist about why the lymphocyte values in bloodwork can appear low in active lymphoma. He did not have a simple answer for this other than the lymphocytes become mutated in lymphoma and can crowd out the normal lymphocytes. These abnormal lymphocytes accumulate to cause the tumors in lymphoma.
Below is a link to video and written article from Mayo Clinic that explains some of this.
Excerpt from the Mayo Clinic article:
Like all cancers, lymphoma is the result of mutations in DNA that instruct the cells on how to grow, and the cells often grow out of control and live longer than they should. These disease cells then continue to multiply at a rapid rate, producing more disease cells. These particular DNA mutations affect lymphocytes, which accumulate in the lymph nodes and other parts of the lymphatic system to form tumors, crowding out healthy tissue and limiting its ability to function.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lymphoma/multimedia/vid-20522470
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Thanks for sharing your story. What led your team to do a spinal tap? I've only had blood testing (flow cytometry for T cells and B cells) which all came back normal. I've had TCR testing of skin biopsies, one of three showed monoclonality (which can be a sign of lymphoma) and I'm waiting on a fourth. I have lots of neurological symptoms in addition to the skin stuff so I've wondered about doing a spinal tap to check for nervous system involvement.