Chest x-ray for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Your doctor might arrange this test to help find out if you have non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). 

An x-ray is a test that uses small amounts (doses) of radiation to take pictures of the inside of your body. They are a good way to look at bones and can show changes caused by cancer or other medical conditions. X-rays can also show changes in other organs, such as the lungs.

You usually have x-rays in the imaging department of the hospital, taken by a radiographer. But in an emergency they are sometimes done on the ward. 

Photograph showing a chest x-ray

What happens

Before your x-ray

There is no special preparation for an x-ray. You can eat and drink normally beforehand. Take your medicines as normal.

When you arrive, the radiographer might ask you to change into a hospital gown and remove your jewellery. Women may need to remove their bras as metal clips and underwiring can show up on the x-ray.

During your x-ray

You usually have a chest x-ray standing up against the x-ray machine. If you can’t stand you can have it sitting or lying on the x-ray couch.

They line the machine up to make sure it's in the right place. You must keep still but can breathe normally.

The radiographer then goes behind a screen to take the x-ray. They can still see and hear you. They might ask you to hold your breath for a few seconds while they take the x-ray. 

X-rays are painless and quick. You won’t feel or see anything.

You usually have more than one x-ray taken from different angles. The whole process might take a few minutes.

After your x-ray

After the x-ray you can get dressed and go home or back to work. 

Getting your results

Ask your doctor how long it will be until you get your x-ray results. Unless your doctor thinks it’s urgent the results might take a couple of weeks.

Waiting for test results can be a worrying time. You might have contact details for a specialist nurse and you can ask them for information. It may help to talk to a close friend or relative about how you feel.

For support and information, you can also contact the Cancer Research UK nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040. The lines are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Possible risks

An x-ray is a safe test for most people but like all medical tests it has some possible risks. Your doctor and radiographer make sure the benefits of having the test outweigh these risks.

Radiation

The amount of radiation you receive from an x-ray is small and doesn't make you feel unwell.

The risk of the radiation causing any problems in the future is very small. The benefits of finding out what is wrong outweigh any risk there may be from radiation.

Talk to your doctor if you are worried about the possible effects of x-rays.

  • Cancer and its Management 
    J Tobias and D Hochhauser  
    Wiley-Blackwell, 2010

  • Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology (11th edition)

    VT De Vita, TS Lawrence and SA Rosenberg

    Wolters Kluwer, 2019 

  • Essential Orthopaedics
    Miller and others
    Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010

Last reviewed: 
07 Dec 2020
Next review due: 
07 Dec 2023

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