Lymphoma stages
Once you have completed the staging investigations, you will be categorised into one of the follow stages:
Stage I: Disease at this stage involves a single lymph node region or a single tissue outside the lymph node (called extranodal disease).
Stage II: Two or more lymph node regions on the same side of diaphragm involved in the disease.
Stage III: Lymph node regions on both sides of the diaphragm involved in the disease.
Stage IV: Widespread involvement of one or more organs or tissues other than lymph nodes. If your bone marrow is involved you have stage IV disease.
Note: Lymph node regions mean neck, axilla (the armpit), groin, chest and abdomen. If you have two or more lymph nodes but they are all in one region only, you have stage I disease. The diaphragm separates the chest and lungs from the abdomen.
Stages are further divided into "A" or "B" on the basis of the presence or absence of certain symptoms. These symptoms include fever, night sweats and/or unexpected weight loss of >10% of your usual body weight.
For example, if you have lymphoma in lymph nodes only in your neck and are otherwise entirely well you have stage IA disease. Alternatively if you have lymphoma in one lymph node in the neck and one in the groin and you normally weigh 70 kg but have lost 9 kg, then you have stage III B disease.