Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is a group of malignancies comprising many different types of lymphoma, and has historically been classified a variety of ways.
Current classification schemes take into account the cells of origin for NHL. The clinically relevant classification schemes divide the diseases into indolent and aggressive NHL.
Although systemic symptoms (fever, night sweats, weight loss, a.k.a. B symptoms) can occur, most symptoms vary, depending on the site involved.
Important prognostic factors include age, stage, number of extranodal sites, performance status, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, which have all been incorporated into the widely used International Prognostic Index.
Other important prognostic factors include tumor size, pathologic subtype, β2-microglobulin concentration, the presence of B symptoms, bone marrow involvement, response to treatment, and duration of remission.
Treatment of NHL depends on the clinical classification of the tumor (indolent versus aggressive) and the stage, but can include observation, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.
Radiation plays an important role in the treatment of limited-stage indolent and aggressive lymphomas, and may be of benefit for certain patients with advanced-stage aggressive NHL.