After radiation for lymphoma, doctors typically order several types of lab tests to monitor how well treatment worked and to keep an eye on overall health. Here's a summary of the most common ones:
Blood Tests
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) – checks red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which can be affected by Show Full Answer
After radiation for lymphoma, doctors typically order several types of lab tests to monitor how well treatment worked and to keep an eye on overall health. Here's a summary of the most common ones:
Blood Tests:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) – checks red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which can be affected by lymphoma and its treatment
- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) – higher levels can indicate cell damage or active disease
- Liver and kidney function tests – radiation and lymphoma can affect these organs, so monitoring them is important
- Urea and electrolyte tests – checks how well the kidneys are filtering waste
- Antibody/immunoglobulin tests – can help track whether lymphoma is progressing or responding to treatment
Imaging (often paired with labs):
- PET scans and CT scans are commonly used alongside blood work to check for remaining or returning cancer One MyLymphomaTeam member with stage 3 lymphoma shared that they get "labs every six months and scans once a year" and that all their "labs are normal." Every care plan is different, so it's always worth asking the care team how often monitoring will be needed.
May 26
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