I have stage 3B Hodgkin lymphoma. How do they make up these numbers? What do they mean?

The staging system for Hodgkin lymphoma was first developed in 1971 and then modified in 1990. It was developed to help cancer specialists communicate better about their patients to help plan therapies for them and to assess the results of the treatment. The staging system is also important in giving people an idea of the likely outcome of their treatment.

There are four stages, numbered 1 to 4, depending on how widespread the Hodgkin lymphoma is:

• stage 1 is where just one group of lymph nodes is affected such as in a groin or in an armpit or on one side of the neck
• stage 2 is where two or more lymph node groups are affected but on the same side of the diaphragm [the sheet of muscle that separates the chest from the belly]. So the lymph nodes above the diaphragm include those in the chest, neck, under the armpit and above the collarbone. The lymph nodes below the diaphragm include those in the groin and the belly
• stage 3 is where two or more lymph node groups are affected on different sides of the diaphragm
• stage 4 is where the disease has spread beyond the lymph nodes into the bone marrow, the bones, liver, lung or other organs of the body.

These four stages are then further divided into 'A' or 'B' depending on whether or not certain symptoms are present . These symptoms are:

• drenching night sweats
• fever
• loss of more than 10% of your body weight

If one or more of these are present then that is stage B disease if none of them are present then it is stage A disease.

As you have stage 3B disease, you must have two or more lymph node groups affected on different sides of the diaphragm plus one or more of the B symptoms.