Validity of the Ann Arbor staging classification for the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Abstract

The Ann Arbor staging classification has proved to be valuable for Hodgkin's disease. When proposed in 1971 it was thought that it could also be applied to the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The diversity of the non-Hodgkin's groups, the continued evolution of histopathologic classifications, and the great frequency of advanced disease in the lymphocytic subgroups make the Ann Arbor classification of only limited value for the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.