Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Disease Stages

Conditions & Diseases: Cancers

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stages

The Ann Arbor Stage
The Ann Arbor Stage System is the most popular classification system for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

When the cancer is in the first stage, one lymph node group from the same side above or below the diaphragm is affected. Or, the cancer affects one organ but has not spread to other organs or lymph nodes.

When the cancer enters the second stage, two groups of lymph nodes on the same side of the diaphragm are affected or one extranodal organ is cancerous and has spread to one or more lymph node groups on the same side of the diaphragm.

In the third stage, cancer has affected two lymph node groups and can partially spread to an extranodal organ or site above and below diaphragm.

In stage four, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is extensive in one organ or site and can affect distant lymph nodes.

These four stages are classified in 6 additional types:

Type A: stage without symptoms being present.
Type B: stage with certain symptoms being present, like loss of more than 10% of body weight over the previous 6 months, fever or night sweats without any obvious causes.
Type E: stage when disease spreads locally from a lymph node to a nearby organ (extranodal organ).
Type X: stage when the nodal mass is largen then 10 centimeters or the mediastinum area (middle chest) is wider than one-third.
Type CS: clinical stage, stage when the doctor physically examines the patient and run tests.
Type PS: pathological stage when an exploratory laparotomy (surgery performed through an abdominal incision) with spelectomy (procedure when spleen is surgically removed) is performed.

Article by Alina Morrow, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com