What are the stages of Hodgkin lymphoma?
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Staging means finding out how much of your body is affected by the disease.
Number stages
- Stage 1 (I): One group of lymph nodes is affected on one side of your diaphragm (either above or below your diaphragm).
- Stage 2 (II): Two or more groups of lymph nodes are affected either above or below your diaphragm
- Stage 3 (III): Lymph nodes are affected above and below your diaphragm
- Stage 4 (IV): Lymphoma can be found in organs outside your lymphatic system or in your bone marrow
In general, the lower the number, the less advanced the cancer.
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Early and late stage lymphoma
- Early stage: This includes stage 1 and possibly stage 2.
- Advanced stage: This is usually stage 2, 3 or 4.
Letter codes
- A: No symptoms.
- B: You have symptoms, such as weight loss, fever and night sweats.
- E: The lymphoma is in unusual places outside your lymph nodes. For example, in your stomach. This is called extranodal lymphoma (the letter E stands for extranodal).
- S: The lymphoma is in your spleen.
Recurrent or relapsed lymphoma
This is when the disease comes back after treatment. It can still be treated successfully, depending on the stage.
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Staging can be hard to understand, so ask your doctor and nurse for more information if you need it.
For more information
Phone
1800 200 700