Ann arbor staging
Ann Arbor Staging
Ann Arbor Staging (pronounced: an ar-bor stay-jing) is a classification system used to stage lymphoma, a type of cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system. This system is named after the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it was first proposed in 1971 at a meeting of the Cotswolds conference.
Etymology
The term "Ann Arbor Staging" is derived from the city of Ann Arbor in Michigan, USA, where the staging system was first developed and proposed. The term "staging" refers to the process of classifying a cancer's extent of spread in the body.
Definition
Ann Arbor Staging is a system that classifies lymphomas into four stages, from I to IV, based on the number of lymph node regions involved and whether the disease has spread beyond the lymph nodes. Each stage can also be classified as "A" or "B" depending on whether the patient has specific symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, and night sweats.
Stages
- Stage I: The lymphoma is located in a single lymph node region or a single non-lymph node site.
- Stage II: The lymphoma is located in two or more lymph node regions on the same side of the diaphragm, or it extends from a single lymph node region into a nearby organ.
- Stage III: The lymphoma is located in lymph node regions on both sides of the diaphragm.
- Stage IV: The lymphoma has spread widely into at least one organ outside of the lymph system.
Related Terms
- Hodgkin's lymphoma: A specific type of lymphoma that is often staged using the Ann Arbor Staging system.
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: A group of cancers that affect the lymphatic system, which can also be staged using the Ann Arbor Staging system.
- Lymphatic system: The part of the immune system that helps the body fight off disease and infection.
- Lymph nodes: Small, bean-shaped organs that produce and store cells that fight infection and disease.
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