Whattoknowaboutstage4lymphomaMedicallyreviewedbyChristinaChun,MPH—WrittenbyShannonJohnsononDecember11,2018TypesSymptomsTreatmentOutlookSurvivalSummaryStage4lymphomaoccurswhencancerhasspreadtoadistantpartofthebodyoutsideofthelymphaticsystem,suchasthespinalcord,lungs,orliver.Lymphomaiscancerthatoriginatesinatypeofwhitebloodcellcalledlymphocytes.Thesecellstravelthroughthelymphaticsystem,whichispartofthebody’simmunesystem.Aswithmanycancers,therearefourstagesoflymphoma.Stage4(IV)lymphomaisoftentreatable.Aperson’sprognosisdependsonmanyfactors,whichincludethetypeoflymphomaandtheageoftheindividual.Inthisarticle,wediscussthedifferenttypesoflymphoma,includingtheirsymptoms,treatment,andsurvivalrates.Typesofstage4lymphomaLymphomaisthetermthatpeopleusetodescribecancerthatdevelopsinthelymphaticsystem.Therearetwomaintypesoflymphoma:Hodgkinlymphomaandnon-Hodgkinlymphoma.HodgkinlymphomaShareonPinterestStage4lymphomaoccurswhencancerhasspreadbeyondthelymphaticsystem.ThehallmarkofHodgkinlymphomaisthepresenceofReed-Sternbergcells,whicharematureB-typeimmunecellsthathavebecomecancerous.Anestimated95percentofHodgkinlymphomasareclassicHodgkinlymphoma,ofwhichtherearefoursubtypes:nodularsclerosismixedcellularitylymphocyte-richlymphocyte-depletedAround5percentofpeoplewithHodgkinlymphomahavenodularlymphocyte-predominantHodgkinlymphoma.EachdifferentsubtypeofHodgkinlymphomahasuniquecharacteristicsthatwilldetermineitstreatmentoptions.Non-HodgkinlymphomaNon-Hodgkinlymphoma,incontrasttoHodgkinlymphoma,cancomefromB-typeorT-typeimmunecells.Itcanalsoforminthelymphnodesandotherorgans,suchasthestomach,intestines,andskin.Therearemorethan90typesofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma,anditispossibletoclassifythemindifferentways.Forexample,doctorsmayclassifynon-HodgkinlymphomaaseitherT-cellorB-cell,accordingtothetypeoflymphocytethatitaffects.Alternatively,theymaydescribethelymphomaasindolentoraggressivetoreflecthowfastitgrowsandspreads.AswithHodgkinlymphoma,thetypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphomawilldeterminethetreatment.SymptomsShareo