Patient selection: malignant lymphoma, Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's disease
Parameters:
(1) number of nodes involved
(2) extranodal involvement
(3) location of the affected nodes
Nodal tissue includes the tonsils, Waldeyer's ring and the spleen.
Categories:
(1) limited: Stage I or II
(2) bulky disease (limited or advanced depending on histology and prognostic features)
(3) advanced: Stage III or IV
Stage I - one of the following:
(1) one lymph node
(2) one group of adjacent nodes
(3) single extranodal lesion without lymph node involvement
Stage II - one of the following:
(1) two or more nodal groups on the same side of the diaphragm
(2) Stage I or II nodal disease AND limited contiguous extranodal involvement
Stage II bulky:
(1) for Hodgkin's disease: (single nodal mass >= 10 cm in diameter) OR (more than one third of transthoracic diameter)
(2) for follicular lymphoma: single nodal mass >= 6 cm
(3) for DLBCL: single nodal mass >= 6 cm to >= 10 cm
Stage III - one of the following:
(1) nodes involved on both sides of the diaphragm
(2) nodes involved above the diaphragm AND spleen involved
Stage IV:
(1) any Stage with noncontiguous extranodal involvement
