Understand Your Stage. Doctors divide DLBCL into four stages. Here's what they mean: Stage I: The cancer is in one lymph node area, ...DiffuseLargeB-CellLymphoma1/11StagingDiffuseLargeB-CellLymphomaAfterdoctorsdiagnosediffuselargeB-celllymphoma(DLBCL),they’lldomoreteststofindoutwherethecancerisinyourbodyandhowfarithasspread.Thisprocessiscalledstaging.Youmightgetthesetests:PhysicalexamBloodtestsBonemarrowbiopsyImagingtestsThesetestresultsandthestageofthecancerhelpdoctorstodecidethebestwaytotreatyourcancer.Swipetoadvance2/11UnderstandYourStageDoctorsdivideDLBCLintofourstages.Here’swhattheymean:StageI:Thecancerisinonelymphnodearea,lymphstructure,orothersite.StageII:Thecancerisintwoormorelymphnodeareasorstructuresononesideofthediaphragm,thelargemusclethatseparatestheabdomenfromthechest.StageIII:Thecancerisinlymphnodeareasorstructuresonbothsidesofthediaphragm.StageIV:Thecancerhasspreadtootherorgansandtissues.Thismayincludetheliver,lung,orbonemarrow.Swipetoadvance3/11StagingandTreatmentIt’sbestwhenthecancerisinanearlierstage.Butthestagecan’ttellyouhowwellyourtreatmentwillworkorwhatthefuturewillhold.Yourdoctorwillusethestagealongwithotherthingslikeyourgeneralhealthandagetosetyourtreatmentplan.TreatmentforDLBCLmayinclude:ChemotherapyImmunotherapySteroidsRadiationtherapyTargetedtherapyStemcelltransplantCART-celltherapySwipetoadvance4/11TreatingAdvancedDLBCLThemostcommontreatmentforadvancedDLBCLiscalledR-CHOP.Thistreatmentcombinesthreechemotherapydrugswithanantibodyandasteroid.Theyare:Rituximab(Rituxan)Cyclophosphamide(Cytoxan)Hydroxydaunorubicin(Doxorubicin)Vincristine(Oncovin)PrednisoneDoctorsoftengiveR-CHOPevery3weeksforsixtoeightcycles.Mostpeoplewillhavesideeffects,whichmayincludefever,lowbloodcounts,andnausea.Forpeoplewithcertainhealthconditions,doctorsmayrecommendothertreatmentcombinations.Swipetoadvance5/11TreatingEarly-StageDLBCLDoctorsalsouseR-CHOPtotreatearly-stageDLBCL.Theymayusefewercycles--threeinsteadofsixoreight--togetherwithradiationtherapy.Doctorsmostoftengiv