Staging DLBCL

• Staging of DLBCL is generally based on the Ann Arbor staging classification (Table 3)
  • This staging system was originally proposed for Hodgkin's lymphoma²⁶ and has been routinely applied to NHL¹¹
  • The classification is based primarily on the distribution of lymphatic involvement with respect to the diaphragm and the presence of extralymphatic organ involvement¹¹
  • The Ann Arbor system does not reflect the nature of disease spread in NHL nor does it discriminate between stage III and IV intermediate-grade disease. The classification also fails to account for tumor bulk or number of extranodal sites¹¹

Table 3. Ann Arbor staging system.^11,27

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