Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsKey TermsDetermining FactorsOutcomesFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Key Terms
Determining Factors
Outcomes
Frequently Asked Questions
The prognosis for aggressivenon-Hodgkin lymphomadepends on several factors, including a person’s age, cancer stage, and treatment response.The four-year survival rate for some people with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be 79% to 94%. In some cases, aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured.
This article covers the prognosis for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma and how different factors affect survival rate. You’ll also learn about the scoring system healthcare practitioners use to evaluate each case.
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What Are the Symptoms of Lymphoma?
Prognosis vs. Life Expectancy vs. Survival
Cancer prognosisis an estimate of how well someone with cancer will respond to treatments.
You may also hear these terms in discussions about aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma prognosis:
It’s important to remember that estimates are just that. They are not specific to one person, and many individual factors determine if someone’s aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma prognosis will be better or worse than expected.
In addition, keep in mind that aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma prognosis statistics—like those for any disease—are based on existing data. This means they show how someone would have done in the past, not how well they may do today with access to newer medications and treatments.
How Can You Find Out If You Have Lymphoma?
Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Prognosis Scoring System
Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a fast-growing disease but it responds well to treatment and many patients can be cured.
The outcome for people with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma depends on five well-established prognostic factors that make up the International Prognostic Index (IPI):
Usually, 1 point is assigned to each category and the points are totaled. A patient gets a final score between 0 and 5 that is used to both predict their prognosis and serve as a comparison for past scores.
Age
Age is an important prognostic factor in aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. People who develop aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma when they are younger than 60 years of age do better than people diagnosed over the age of 60.
Age Score:Using the IPI, 1 point is given for being over age 60 and 0 points for being under age 60.
Blood Test Results
Serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) is a blood test that can show how much disease there is in the body in a person with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The more the disease there is, the higher thevalue of LDHwill be.
People with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma andhigh levels of LDHdo worse than people who have normal levels.
LDH Test Score:Using the IPI, 1 point is given for an elevated level and 0 points are given for a normal level.
Types of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Performance Status
Performance statusmeasures the fitness of a person with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It’s a way to track a person’s symptoms and see how well they are able to care for themselves and go about their day-to-day lives independently.
In aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers, people with higher performance scores do better after treatment than people who are sicker or dependent on others for help with their daily activities.
Performance Status Score:Using the IPI, 1 point is given if you need a lot of assistance in daily activities and 0 points are given if you can manage daily activities without help.
Cancer Stage
As with other types of cancer, thestageof aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is also a key factor in a person’s prognosis. People with early-stage disease (stages 1 and 2) have better outcomes than people with advanced-stage disease (stages 3 and 4).
Cancer Stage Score:Using the IPI, 1 point is given for havingstage 3or 4 cancer, and 0 points are given for stage 1 or 2.
What To Expect If You Have Stage 4 Lymphoma
Involvement of Organs Outside the Lymph System
Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer ofthe lymphatic system. However, when cancer gets into organs outside of it—like the liver, spine, or brain—treatments may not work as well and people will have worse outcomes.
Organ Involvement Score:Using the IPI, 1 point is given if one or more organs outside the lymph system are affected and 0 points are given if no organs outside the lymphatic system are affected.
Is Lymphoma Treatable?
Are Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Outcomes Improving?
Not long ago, the five-year survival rate for a person with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 0 to 1 point(s) was 75%, and 30% for people with 4 to 5 points. However, researchers have done more recent estimates of these rates for people with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma who have had access to newer treatments.
Today, people with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 0 points may have a four-year survival rate of 94%, and people with 1 point may have a five-year survival rate of 79%.
Summary
If you are diagnosed with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, you may fear how it will affect your life expectancy. The prognosis for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma depends on many factors, like how old you are, how yourespond to treatment, and the cancer stage.
Remember that cancer prognosis numbers are only an estimate. Each person has individual factors that will influence their experience with cancer. Even if your prognosis is good, it’s important to seek out support for coping with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
That said, treatments for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma have improved. People have a better outlook today and often live longer than they used to—and some people can even be cured.
Frequently Asked QuestionsBurkitt lymphoma is considered the most aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Of all cancers, it’s one of the fastest-growing—but it’s also rare.Some lymphomas start out growing slowly over years, even decades. Once they become aggressive, they grow fast. Some aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas can even double in size in just one month.Some cases of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma respond well to treatment and go into remission. If a person’s cancer does not come back, they can be cured of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Burkitt lymphoma is considered the most aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Of all cancers, it’s one of the fastest-growing—but it’s also rare.
Some lymphomas start out growing slowly over years, even decades. Once they become aggressive, they grow fast. Some aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas can even double in size in just one month.
Some cases of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma respond well to treatment and go into remission. If a person’s cancer does not come back, they can be cured of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Pfreundschuh M.Age and Sex in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Therapy: It’s Not All Created Equal, or Is It?American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book. 2017;37:505-511. doi:10.14694/edbk_175447
van de Schans SA, van Steenbergen LN, Coebergh JW, Janssen-Heijnen ML, van Spronsen DJ.Actual prognosis during follow-up of survivors of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the Netherlands.Haematologica. 2014;99(2):339–345. doi:10.3324/haematol.2012.081885
Yadav C, Ahmad A, D’Souza B, et al.Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase in Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: A Prognostic Indicator.Indian J Clin Biochem. 2016;31(2):240–242. doi:10.1007/s12291-015-0511-3
Cancer Treatment Centers of America.Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Types.
Bristol Meyers Squibb.The Many Faces of Lymphoma.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Treatment for Aggressive NHL Subtypes.
American Cancer Society. Survival rates and factors that affect prognosis (outlook) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Updated 01/22/16.
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