Hodgkin Lymphoma Staging
Doctors classify Hodgkin lymphoma by staging. Staging helps doctors predict the disease's extent and create an appropriate treatment plan.
Doctors commonly use the Modified Ann Arbor Staging System, which categorizes the disease by its extent and symptoms.
Lymphoma Stages
Stage |
Number and Location of Affected Lymph Nodes and Organs |
| Stage I |
One lymph node region or a single body organ, such as bone, liver or a lung |
| Stage II | Two or more lymph node regions that are:
|
| Stage III | Several lymph node regions:
|
| Stage IV |
Widespread distribution of lymph nodes:
|
Categories A and B
Stages I to IV are further divided into A and B categories to indicate whether patients have certain symptoms:
- A Category: No fever, no exaggerated sweating and no weight loss are present.
- B Category: Fever, excessive sweating and weight loss are present.
For example, if you were diagnosed with stage IIB Hodgkin lymphoma, you would:
- have affected lymph nodes in two close regions of your body (such as the neck and collarbone or the neck and armpit) and
- be suffering from fever, excessive sweating and weight loss
Your treatment depends on your stage and category. Patients who fall into the B category usually need more aggressive treatment than A category patients do.
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