The accompanying fever with no obvious cause can be a problem for diagnosis. Eventually the spleen, the liver, bone marrow and all internal organs can be involved in the spreading of this abnormal glandular tissue. The earlier the disease is treated, the better the chances for survival. In the early stages of the disease, if there are no new manifestations for five years after treatment, then the outlook for a complete cure is extremely good. If not diagnosed and treated early, wasting, malnutrition and eventually death from infection will occur.
Diagnosis is made by examining a small portion of the abnormal glandular tissue.
Abdominal surgery to obtain such a specimen may be necessary in the case enlargement of the spleen or liver and the absence of superficial swellings. Once diagnosed then intensive investigation including blood tests, x-rays, scans, liver function tests, bone marrow biopsy all have to be used to determine the extent of the disease before treatment is commenced. Radiation treatment is used for the early stages of the disease. Late stages are treated with chemotherapy, generally a combination of anti-cancer drugs. Occasionally both forms of treatment are combined.