Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeaningBenign CausesCancerous CausesRole in Staging
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Meaning
Benign Causes
Cancerous Causes
Role in Staging
Adenopathy, also known aslymphadenopathy, is a medical term that describes swollenlymph nodes, There are many reasons why lymph nodes may be swollen, including infections and autoimmune diseases, but there are situations when adenopathy may be a sign of cancer.
Adenopathy with cancer has specific symptoms and characteristics that make it different from other causes. The role of lymph nodes is so distinct that they play a major role in both the diagnosis and staging of cancer.
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Meaning of Adenopathy
Adenopathy is a common symptom that occurs when the body’s immune system fights a disease, both minor and major. It is an indication that lymph nodes have isolated a disease-causing organism (called a pathogen) and are trying to neutralize it.
Lymph nodes are a central part of the immune response. These pea-sized organs act as filters for lymphatic fluids that carry waste from the body’s tissues. They also produced defensive white blood cells known aslymphocytes.
There are roughly 600 lymph nodes situated in clusters throughout the body. While some are located superficially—including the groin, armpit, neck, and collarbone—others are situated deeper in the body, such as in the chest or abdomen.
Adenopathy can mean many things depending on where and how the swelling occurs. These characteristics can help narrow the possible causes based on whether the swollen lymph nodes are:
Adenopathy and lymphadenopathy are one and the same.
Benign Causes of Adenopathy
Benign adenopathy is used to describe swollen lymph nodes not associated with cancer. There are many different causes, some of which are serious and others that are not.
These include:
Malignant Adenopathy and Cancer
Malignant adenopathy is the swelling of lymph nodes from cancer. It differs from infectious, autoimmune, or medication causes in that the mechanism and symptoms can vary, sometimes considerably.
Canceroccurs when cells replicate abnormally and grow out of control. These abnormal cells can form solid masses called tumors or lead to blood cancers likeleukemiaorlymphoma.
With solid tumors, lymph nodes are affected because wastes from surrounding tissues drain into them. If cancer is present, any malignant cells that are shed can become trapped in the lymph nodes and trigger an inflammatory response.
With cancer, lymph nodes can often serve as a “firewall” to prevent the spread of the malignancy. On the flip side, adenopathy is an indication that the cancer is starting to spread or has already spread (metastasized) to distant organs.
What Are the Chances Swollen Lymph Nodes Are Cancer?Cancer is one of the least likely causes of adenopathy overall. It is estimated that only about 1.1% of swollen lymph nodes are cancerous.
What Are the Chances Swollen Lymph Nodes Are Cancer?
Cancer is one of the least likely causes of adenopathy overall. It is estimated that only about 1.1% of swollen lymph nodes are cancerous.
Symptoms and Pattern of Development
Because cancer tends to develop gradually rather than abruptly, adenopathy can differ in how it presents itself. With cancer, swollen lymph nodes tend to be:
The pattern of development can also indicate which type of cancer you have. By way of example:
Other signs of cancer include persistent fatigue, unexplained bruising, changes in size and texture of tissues, night sweats, a loss of appetite, localized pain, a palpable lump, and unintended weight loss.
These clues can help point the healthcare provider in the direction of malignant adenopathy.
Role of Adenopathy With Cancer Diagnosis and Staging
Adenopathy may not only be a diagnostic clue of cancer but may also be used to stage the disease.Cancer stagingis a process used to determine how advanced the cancer is, which, in turn, determines which treatments should be used.
Staging of Solid Tumor Cancers
If cancer is diagnosed, imaging tests likecomputed tomography (CT)ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)may be used to check for adenopathy in deeper tissues, such as the abdomen or chest. Surgical procedures like asentinel node biopsymay also be performed to see if there is cancer in your lymph nodes and how far along the string of lymph nodes cancer is found.
These pieces of information can be used to stage your cancer based on theTNM classification system. The system is based on three specific criteria:
With respect to lymph nodes, the lab pathologist will determine how many are involved, how big they are, where they are located, and how much cancer is in them.
Based on the TNM classification system, solid tumor cancers are generally staged as follows:
Staging of Leukemia and Lymphoma
Lymph nodes also factor into the staging of leukemia and lymphoma but in different ways.
Leukemia starts in thebone marrowand causes the formation of abnormal white blood cells, called leukemic cells. As white blood cell production increases, red blood levels can drop (leading toanemia) and adenopathy can develop as lymph nodes combat the leukemic cells.
The stages of leukemia are broadly described as follows:
Lymphoma differs from leukemia in that the cancer starts in the lymph or spleen. Therefore, the stage is based on the involvement of these organs and is broadly staged as follows:
Summary
Adenopathy with cancer can often cause hard, fixed, painless, and irregularly shaped lymph nodes. These diagnostic clues can differentiate malignant adenopathy from other non-cancerous causes.
Lymph nodes are also involved in the staging of cancer. Based on the number, location, and extent of the swollen lymph nodes, a lab pathologist can determine if your cancer is in the early stages or is more advanced.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509Liao S, von der Weid PY.Lymphatic system: an active pathway for immune protection.Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2015;38:83-89.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Davis AS, Viera AJ, Mead MD.Leukemia: an overview for primary care.Am Fam Physician. 2014;889(9):731-738.American Cancer Society.What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?American Cancer Society.What is Hodgkin lymphoma?Koo MM, Swann R, McPhail S, et al.Presenting symptoms of cancer and stage at diagnosis: evidence from a cross-sectional, population-based study.Lancet Oncol.2020 Jan;21(1): 73–79. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30595-9National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the different stages of lymphoma?
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509Liao S, von der Weid PY.Lymphatic system: an active pathway for immune protection.Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2015;38:83-89.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Davis AS, Viera AJ, Mead MD.Leukemia: an overview for primary care.Am Fam Physician. 2014;889(9):731-738.American Cancer Society.What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?American Cancer Society.What is Hodgkin lymphoma?Koo MM, Swann R, McPhail S, et al.Presenting symptoms of cancer and stage at diagnosis: evidence from a cross-sectional, population-based study.Lancet Oncol.2020 Jan;21(1): 73–79. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30595-9National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the different stages of lymphoma?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509Liao S, von der Weid PY.Lymphatic system: an active pathway for immune protection.Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2015;38:83-89.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Davis AS, Viera AJ, Mead MD.Leukemia: an overview for primary care.Am Fam Physician. 2014;889(9):731-738.American Cancer Society.What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?American Cancer Society.What is Hodgkin lymphoma?Koo MM, Swann R, McPhail S, et al.Presenting symptoms of cancer and stage at diagnosis: evidence from a cross-sectional, population-based study.Lancet Oncol.2020 Jan;21(1): 73–79. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30595-9National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the different stages of lymphoma?
Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.
West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509
Liao S, von der Weid PY.Lymphatic system: an active pathway for immune protection.Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2015;38:83-89.
American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.
Davis AS, Viera AJ, Mead MD.Leukemia: an overview for primary care.Am Fam Physician. 2014;889(9):731-738.
American Cancer Society.What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
American Cancer Society.What is Hodgkin lymphoma?
Koo MM, Swann R, McPhail S, et al.Presenting symptoms of cancer and stage at diagnosis: evidence from a cross-sectional, population-based study.Lancet Oncol.2020 Jan;21(1): 73–79. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30595-9
National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.
Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the different stages of lymphoma?
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