It is important to know the stage of a cancer in order to plan treatment.
Stages of Adult non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Stages of adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may include E and S.
- E: "E" stands for extranodal and means the cancer is found in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes or has spread to tissues beyond, but near, the major lymphatic areas.
- S: "S" stands for spleen and means the cancer is found in the spleen.
The following stages are used for adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma:
Stage I
Stage I is divided into stage I and stage IE.
- Stage I: Cancer is found in one lymph node group.
- Stage IE: Cancer is found in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes.
Stage II
Stage II is divided into stage II and stage IIE.
- Stage II: Cancer is found in two or more lymph node groups on the same side of the diaphragm (the thin muscle below the lungs that helps breathing and separates the chest from the abdomen).
- Stage IIE: Cancer is found in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes and in lymph nodes near that area or organ, and may have spread to other lymph node groups on the same side of the diaphragm.
Stage III
Stage III is divided into stage III, stage IIIE, Stage IIIS, and stage IIIS+E.
- Stage III: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm (the thin muscle below the lungs that helps breathing and separates the chest from the abdomen).
- Stage IIIE: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm and in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes.
- Stage IIIS: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm and in the spleen.
- Stage IIIS+E: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm, in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes, and in the spleen.
Stage IV
In stage IV, the cancer either:
- is found throughout one or more organs other than the lymph nodes and may be in lymph nodes near those organs; or
- is found in one organ other than the lymph nodes and has spread to lymph nodes far away from that organ.
Adult non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas are also described in terms of how fast they grow and the location of affected lymph nodes.
Indolent or aggressive:
- Indolent lymphomas: These tend to grow and spread slowly and have few symptoms.
- Aggressive lymphomas: These grow and spread quickly and have severe symptoms. Lymphoblastic lymphoma, diffuse small noncleaved cell lymphoma/Burkitt lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma are 3 types of aggressive adult non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Aggressive lymphomas are seen more often in patients who are HIV-positive (AIDS-related lymphoma).
Contiguous or noncontiguous:
- Contiguous lymphomas: Lymphomas in which the lymph nodes containing cancer are next to each other.
- Noncontiguous lymphomas: Lymphomas in which the lymph nodes containing cancer are not next to each other, but are on the same side of the diaphragm.
Stages of Childhood non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
The following stages are used for childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma:
Stage I
In stage I childhood non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cancer is found in a single area or lymph node outside of the abdomen or chest.
Stage II
In stage II childhood non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cancer is found:
- in only one area and in the lymph nodes around it; or
- in 2 or more areas or lymph nodes on one side of the diaphragm (the thin muscle under the lungs that divides the chest and abdominal cavity and helps with breathing); or
- to have started in the stomach or intestines and has been completely removed by surgery, and lymph nodes in the area may or may not have cancer.
Stage III
In stage III childhood non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cancer is found:
- in areas or lymph nodes on both sides of the diaphragm; or
- to have started in the chest; or
- in more than one place in the abdomen; or
- in the area around the spine.
Stage IV
In stage IV childhood non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cancer is found in the bone marrow, brain, or spinal cord. Cancer may also be found in other parts of the body.
Reference:
National Cancer Institute, USA.
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