[Clinical staging classification of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]

Ann Arbor staging classification (with Cotswolds modifications) is widely used to evaluate the cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL). Contrary to Hodgkin's disease, most patients with NHL have advanced and extranodal disease, and therefore Ann Arbor staging system is not satisfactory in all the cases of NHL. However, Ann Arbor clinical stage is a powerful prognostic factor when it is used with other prognostic factors, such as serum lactate dehydrogenase and performance status(International Prognostic Index). Clinical features of NHL are closely related to histologic subtypes, so newer staging system will be based on pathological diagnosis and clinical parameters.