Stage 4. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of lymphoma. Lymphoma that has started in the lymph nodes and spread to at least one body organ outside the lymphatic system (for example, the lungs, liver, bone marrow or solid bones) is advanced lymphoma.
Stage 4 lymphoma means that cancer has spread to an organ external to the lymphatic system. The survival rates vary widely depending on an individual's risk factors and type of cancer. The survival rate of stage 4 lymphoma is lower than that of the other stages, but doctors can cure the condition in some cases.
Lymphoma most often spreads to the liver, bone marrow, or lungs. Stage III-IV lymphomas are common, still very treatable, and often curable, depending on the NHL subtype.
Stage 4 lymphoma is treatable. Aggressive rounds of chemotherapy are often given as a first-line treatment for lymphoma at this stage. The five-year relative survival rate for stage 4 lymphoma varies and ranges from 57% to 86% based on the type you have.
It has 4 stages, labeled I, II, III, and IV. For limited stage (I or II) HL that affects an organ outside of the lymph system, the letter E is added to the stage (for example, stage IE or IIE).
Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma or Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.
This is a rare, slow-growing type of lymphoma. It's found mainly in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. This type of lymphoma can't be cured. But people can live with it for many years.
People with NHL most often die from infections, bleeding or organ failure resulting from metastases. A serious infection or sudden bleeding can quickly lead to death, even if someone doesn't appear very ill.
Stage 4. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of lymphoma. Lymphoma that has started in the lymph nodes and spread to at least one body organ outside the lymphatic system (for example, the lungs, liver, bone marrow or solid bones) is advanced lymphoma.
Stages III and IV
The ABVD regimen (for at least 6 cycles) is often used, but some doctors favor more intense treatment with the Stanford V regimen for 3 cycles, or up to 8 cycles of the BEACOPP regimen if there are several unfavorable prognostic factors.
Whether your lymphoma is being treated or not, it's important to have treatment to relieve your symptoms. This type of treatment, sometimes called palliative care, can be given along with cancer treatment as well as if cancer treatment is no longer working.
There is a chance that your treatment can increase the risk of getting another type of cancer in the future. This is because both chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy work by damaging cells. They kill the lymphoma cells, but they can damage healthy cells too.
Burkitt lymphoma grows very rapidly, which means that symptoms usually develop quickly, over just a few days or weeks. The most common symptom is one or more lumps, which often develop in several parts of your body. These are swollen lymph nodes.
In practice, most people with high grade NHL have treatment as if it is an advanced cancer. This usually means quite intensive chemotherapy treatment with 3 or 4 different drugs, over 6 to 8 months. You have some or all of these drugs into your bloodsteam.
The most common sites are in the chest, neck, or under the arms. Hodgkin lymphoma most often spreads through the lymph vessels from lymph node to lymph node. Rarely, late in the disease, it can invade the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, and/or bone marrow.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's germ-fighting network. The lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes (lymph glands), spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow. Lymphoma can affect all those areas as well as other organs throughout the body.
Low-Grade Lymphoma
These grow so slowly that patients can live for many years mostly without symptoms, although some may experience pain from an enlarged lymph gland. After five to 10 years, low-grade disorders begin to progress rapidly to become aggressive or high-grade and produce more severe symptoms.
Aggressive lymphoma, also known as high-grade lymphoma, is a group of fast growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Some common symptoms for aggressive lymphoma are weight loss, night sweats, nausea and recurrent fevers. Since these tumors are fast to grow and spread, immediate intervention is required after diagnosis.
Towards the end of your life, you have less energy and you need more rest. It can become difficult to do the things you once found easy, such as focussing on a conversation. Lymphoma can cause drowsiness and fatigue by: causing a shortage of oxygen to your organs.
The most common cause of death was infection (33% of cases). Predisposing factors for infection included the underlying disease, (i.e., lymphomatous infiltration of organ systems) and granulocytopenia secondary to combination chemotherapy.
5-year relative survival rates for NHL
The overall 5-year relative survival rate for people with NHL is 74%. But it's important to keep in mind that survival rates can vary widely for different types and stages of lymphoma.
Stage 4. Stage 4 means one of the following: your lymphoma is in an extranodal site and lymph nodes are affected. your lymphoma is in more than one extranodal site, for example the liver, bones or lungs.
A cancer can be inoperable for a variety of reasons. “Liquid cancers,” such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, are considered inoperable by nature, because they involve cells or tissues that are dispersed throughout the body.
Survival data regarding Hodgkin vs. non-Hodgkin lymphoma depends on each patient's specific situation, but in general, the five-year relative survival rate for Hodgkin lymphoma is higher than that of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. One reason may be that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is often diagnosed when the cancer is more advanced.