The test is used to help determine the cause of<unk> <unk>  enlargement (swollen glands or<unk> adenitis). It may also determine whether tumors in the<unk> <unk>  are cancerous or noncancerous. Enlarged<unk> <unk> s may be caused by a number of conditions, ranging from very mild infections to serious malignancies. Benign conditions can often be distinguished from cancerous and infectious processes by microscopic examination. The pathologist may also perform additional tests on the<unk> <unk>  tissue to assist in making a diagnosis. Some of the conditions where abnormal values are obtained are: * Hodgkin's<unk> oma * Non-Hodgkin's<unk> oma * Sarcoidosis * tuberculous cervical<unk> adenitis (scrofula)<unk> es may be performed to evaluate the spread of cancer. See<unk> adenectomy#With sentinel<unk>  biopsy. However, Sentinel<unk>  for evaluating early, thin melanoma has not been shown to improve survival, and for this reason, should not be performed. Patients with melanoma in situ, T1a melanoma or T1b melanoma ≤ 0.5mm have a low risk of cancer spreading to<unk> <unk> s and high 5-year survival rates, so this kind of biopsy is unnecessary.
Lymph node biopsy
Open biopsy
Needle-localized biopsy
Tissue typing
Lymphadenectomy
Immunophenotyping
Cytopathology
Mycology