Factors that affect survival in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

There are five main risk factors that determine your survival (prognosis) when you are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These include:

• Age. Survival is more likely if you are younger than 60 years old.
• Serum LDH levels. Survival is more likely if your LDH level is normal, not elevated.
• Performance status, which is a measure of how well you are functioning. Survival is more likely if your performance status indicates that you are active and able to care for yourself.
• Stage of the lymphoma. Survival is more likely if you have stage I or II lymphoma than if you have stage III or IV.
• Other areas of the body (extranodal sites) involved with lymphoma. Survival is less likely if you have two or more other areas involved with lymphoma. The risk of the lymphoma returning (relapse) is also higher if specific sites (including the bone marrow, central nervous system, liver, lung, or spleen) are involved.

If you have two or more risk factors, you have about a 50% chance of surviving without relapse 5 years after you are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.