Blood tests for SLL

Hello, I’m on watch and wait for Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). I’m wondering, if it’s in my lymph nodes rather than my blood, how do blood tests show how it’s progressing?

2 Likes

Hi @Mazza and welcome to the forum.
It’s a great question. I was diagnosed with lymphoma which never showed in my blood either and I remember asking the same question. However, I wouldn’t be able to explain it so have copied in the @BloodCancerUK_Nurses who will be able to answer your question.
How are you keeping?

3 Likes

Hi @Mazza a great big welcome to our forum I am wondering if you have asked your medical team this question, your specialist nurse, if you have one, is a good contact point.
@Nichola75 has given you a great response
I am on watch and wait (or called active monitoring) and my blood test results do fluctuate.
Look after yourself and please do let us know how you get on

2 Likes

Thank you Nicola, that’s very helpful.

2 Likes

Thank you Erica, I will do that.

2 Likes

Dear @Mazza,

Welcome to our forum and thank you for reaching out to us.

With Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), blood tests will not show if it is progressing because abnormal lymphocytes are only found in the lymph nodes or spleen and not in the blood. Progression is monitored on symptoms including rapidly enlarging lymph nodes or a swollen spleen that is causing symptoms, increasing fatigue, unexplained weight loss and frequent infections and night sweats. However, some people will never have any of these symptoms. I have enclosed a link here to our webpage on active monitoring which explains this in more detail Active monitoring

I hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like to discuss in more detail or require further information, please remember, we are only a phone call away on 0808 2080 888.

Kind regards Fiona (support services nurse)

5 Likes