Read article Staging non Hodgkin lymphoma
This page tells you about the stages of non Hodgkin lymphoma. You can find the following information
Staging non Hodgkin lymphoma
Staging is important because your doctor uses the stage to work out the treatment you will need. The stage refers to the number of lymph nodes affected. There are 4 stages of non Hodgkin lymphoma. Below is a simplified version of the staging system
- Stage 1 - you have lymphoma in one group of lymph nodes or in just one organ or area of the body
- Stage 2 - you have lymphoma in 2 or more groups of lymph nodes. They are on the same side of your diaphragm
- Stage 3 - you have lymph nodes affected on both sides of the diaphragm
- Stage 4 - your lymphoma has spread outside the lymph nodes, for example, to the liver, bone marrow or lungs
Your doctor will write the letter E after the stage, if your lymphoma started in an organ or area of the body outside the lymphatic system. The E stands for extranodal lymphoma. Your doctor or nurse can explain more about staging for extranodal disease.
The letter B will be put after your stage if you have night sweats, a high temperature that comes and goes, or have lost a lot of weight over a short period of time and don't know why. The letter A will be put after the stage if you do not have any of these symptoms. Your doctor needs to know about your symptoms because the treatment is sometimes different for people with B symptoms.
Stages of NHL made simple
To work out what treatment you need doctors also classify NHL as either
- Limited, which means stage 1 or 2, type A, and with all tumours less than 10 cm across
- Advanced, which means stage 3 or 4, or type B, or any tumour more than 10 cm across
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating NHL section.
The stage of the cancer means whether it is localised or has spread. The tests and scans you have to diagnose your lymphoma will give some information about the stage. Your doctor uses the stage to work out the treatment you will need. There is more general information about the stages of cancer in the about cancer section.
There are 4 stages of non Hodgkin lymphoma. Below is a simplified version of the staging system
- Stage 1 - you have lymphoma in one group of lymph nodes or in just one organ or area of the body
- Stage 2 - you have lymphoma in 2 or more groups of lymph nodes. They are on the same side of your diaphragm
- Stage 3 - you have lymph nodes affected on both sides of the diaphragm
- Stage 4 - your lymphoma has spread outside the lymph nodes, for example, to the liver, bone marrow or lungs
The diaphragm (pronounced dia-fram) is a sheet of muscle just under the rib cage. The diagram shows you where it is.
Doctors use the diaphragm as a guide for working out the stages of non Hodgkin lymphoma because it is about half way down the body.
At diagnosis, about a quarter of people with NHL have lymphoma that started in an organ or area of the body outside the lymphatic system. This is called extranodal lymphoma. In this case, your doctor will write the letter E after the stage number. Your doctor or nurse can explain more about the staging for extranodal lymphoma.
If you have lymphoma in your spleen, your doctor will write the letter S after the stage.
As well as using your test results to work out the stage of your non Hodgkin lymphoma, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms the letter B will be put after your stage
- Night sweats
- A high temperature that comes and goes
- Have lost a lot of weight in a short period of time and don't know why
If you do not have any of these symptoms, the letter A will be put after the stage.
For example, you have Stage 2B non Hodgkin lymphoma, if you have
- 2 groups of lymph nodes affected on the same side of the diaphragm
- Temperatures and night sweats
Doctors need to know about your symptoms because the treatment may need to be different for people with B symptoms.
To work out what types of treatment you need, doctors put people with non Hodgkin lymphoma into 2 groups. They call these groups
Limited Disease
Limited stage disease means you have non Hodgkin lymphoma only on one side of your diaphragm and
- Small tumours
- No B symptoms (night sweats, temperatures or weight loss)
Advanced Disease
Advanced stage disease means you have non Hodgkin lymphoma on both sides of your diaphragm
- Or a tumour of more than 10cm
- Or any of the B symptoms
If you would like more information about staging non Hodgkin lymphoma, contact our cancer information nurses. They would be happy to help. Or you can contact one of the organisations listed on the non Hodgkin lymphoma organisations page. They often have free factsheets and booklets which they can send to you.
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