What are the stages of AIDS-related lymphoma?

The stages of AIDS-related lymphoma are as follows:

Stage I

Stage I AIDS-related lymphoma is divided into stage I and stage IE.

Stage I: Cancer is found in one lymph node group. Stage IE: Cancer is found in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes.

Stage II

Stage II AIDS-related lymphoma is divided into stage II and stage IIE.

Stage II: Cancer is found in two or more lymph node groups on the same side of the diaphragm (the thin muscle below the lungs that helps breathing and separates the chest from the abdomen). Stage IIE: Cancer is found in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes and in lymph nodes near that area or organ, and may have spread to other lymph node groups on the same side of the diaphragm.

Stage III

Stage III AIDS-related lymphoma is divided into stage III, stage IIIE, stage IIIS, and stage IIIS+E.

Stage III: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm (the thin muscle below the lungs that helps breathing and separates the chest from the abdomen). Stage IIIE: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm and in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes. Stage IIIS: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm and in the spleen. Stage IIIS+E: Cancer is found in lymph node groups on both sides of the diaphragm, in an area or organ other than the lymph nodes, and in the spleen.

Stage IV

In stage IV AIDS-related lymphoma, the cancer either:

Is found throughout one or more organs other than the lymph nodes and may be in lymph nodes near those organs; or Is found in one organ other than the lymph nodes and has spread to lymph nodes far away from that organ.

Patients who are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus or whose AIDS-related lymphoma affects the bone marrow have an increased risk of the cancer spreading to the central nervous system (CNS).

This answer is based on source information from the National Cancer Institute.