Histological Classification of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Knowing the rank gives your care team an idea of how quickly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) can develop and its likelihood of spreading. This helps him plan your treatment. The rank can also help the care team to predict how you might react to the treatment.
To establish the NHL rank, the pathologist examines a sample taken from a lymph node or other tissue microscopically. The grade is defined by the appearance and behavior of cancer cells that are compared with those of normal cells. The word differentiation is used to describe how different cancer cells are.
The different types and sub-types of NHL are usually described as indolent (low grade, or slow evolution) or aggressive (high grade, or rapid evolution). Some NHL sub-types cannot be easily categorized as they have indolent NHL and aggressive NHL characteristics.
Low-grade NHL, or indolent
Cancer cells of low grade, or indolent, are well differentiated. Their appearance and behaviour are very similar to those of normal cells.
Low-grade NHL types tend to grow slowly and usually cause few symptoms when developing. Low-grade NHL types have therefore often already spread to other parts of the body when diagnosed. They usually spread to the bone marrow and spleen.
Some types of low-grade NHL can turn into a high-grade NHL type that requires more aggressive treatment.
High-grade NHL, or aggressive
High-grade, or aggressive, cancer cells are poorly differentiated or undifferentiated. Their appearance and behaviour are less normal, or more abnormal.
High-grade NHL types develop rapidly. They tend to spread to lymph nodes or other organs in different parts of the body. High-grade NHL types usually cause symptoms and should be treated immediately.
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