Can Lymphoma of the Skin Be Found Early?

This type of lymphoma first appears in the skin, so it is usually found earlier in the course of the disease than many other types of cancer. Unfortunately, it is sometimes hard even for experienced doctors to diagnose skin lymphomas right away because they often look like other, more common skin problems such as infections or eczema.

The best approach is to see a doctor if you notice symptoms that might be from a skin lymphoma (or another type of skin cancer). This includes any new lesion (abnormal area) on the skin, especially if it is raised, if it breaks open or bleeds, if it doesn’t go away, or if it is growing.

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Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.

Foss FM, Gibson JF, Edelson RL, Wilson LD. Chapter 104: Cutaneous lymphomas. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.

Querfeld C, Rosen ST. Chapter 107: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Dorshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa. Elsevier: 2014.

Last Revised: March 29, 2018

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Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging