Clinical staging and diagnosis of malignant lymphoma

Clinical staging of malignant lymphoma, especially that of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, should be made according to the organ of its origin and the histologic type, taking the natural course of each tumor type into consideration. This is only possible if a universal system of histopathological classification is present, such a classification is unlikely to be established in the near future. Under these circumstances, the Ann Arbor classification for Hodgkin's disease must be applied for the time being to clinical evaluation of lymphoma. Remarkable improvements have been made in the diagnostic modalities, but conventional procedure such as biopsy, lymphography, plain chest X-ray, and gastro-intestinal fluoroscopy still remain important in the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma.