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lymphoma

 
Dictionary: lym·pho·ma   (lĭm-fō'mə) pronunciation
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n., pl., -ma·ta (-mə-tə), or -mas.
Any of various usually malignant tumors that arise in the lymph nodes or in other lymphoid tissue.

lymphomatoid lym·pho'ma·toid' or lym·pho'ma·tous (-təs) adj.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: lymphoma
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Any of a group of malignant diseases (see cancer) that usually start in the lymph nodes or lymphoid tissues. The two major types, Hodgkin disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, each have several subtypes. Diagnosis of either type requires biopsy, usually from the lymph nodes. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas may be diffuse (widespread) or nodular (concentrated in nodules); nodular lymphomas generally develop more slowly.

For more information on lymphoma, visit Britannica.com.

Oncology Encyclopedia: Lymphoma
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Definition

Lymphoma is the name of a diverse group of cancers of the lymphatic system, a connecting network of glands, organs and vessels whose principle cell is the lymphocyte.

Description

When lymphoma occurs, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally. They divide too rapidly and grow without any order or control. Too much tissue is formed and tumors begin to grow. Because there is lymph tissue in many parts of the body, the cancer cells may involve the liver, spleen, or bone marrow.

Two general types of lymphoma are commonly recognized: Hodgkin's disease or Hodgkin's lymphoma (HD), and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The two are distinguished by cell type. These differ significantly in respect of their natural histories and their response to therapy. Hodgkin's disease tends to be primarily of nodal origin. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, unlike HD, can spread beyond the lymphatic system.

—Kate Kretschmann

Sci-Tech Encyclopedia: Lymphoma
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Any of a group of malignant neoplasms derived from cells endogenous to lymphoid tissue. Lymphomas are grouped into two major categories: Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Lymphomas usually originate in the lymph nodes located throughout the body, but they can arise from lymphoid tissue that does not form distinct nodes, such as that in the gastrointestinal tract or lung. Determination of the specific variety of Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was formerly based on the appearance of the cells when examined under a light microscope. Identification now relies on the nature of the cells with respect to certain substances (antigens) that they have on their surface or within their cytoplasm. For clinical purposes, lymphomas are categorized into three grades, low, intermediate, and high, with low-grade lymphomas having the best prognosis. See also Hodgkin's disease.

The etiology of most lymphomas is unknown. In experimental and domestic animals, viruses can cause lymphomas. Burkitt's lymphoma, a type of lymphoma that is rare in the United States but relatively common in children of central Africa, is thought to be caused by Epstein-Barr virus, a member of the herpes virus group. A form of T-cell lymphoma that has been identified in southern Japan has been attributed to a retrovirus referred to as human T-cell lymphoma-leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). See also Epstein-Barr virus; Retrovirus.

Patients with lymphomas may have painless swelling of various lymph nodes, such as those in the neck or near the armpit. Some patients, especially those with Hodgkin's disease, are referred to as B symptoms (fever, malaise, and weight loss). If the lymphoma originates in lymphoid tissue outside the lymph nodes, abdominal pain will signal lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract and a cough will point to lymphoma of the lung.

Lymph nodes involved by lymphoma are characteristically enlarged. They may be firm and have a consistency resembling fish flesh. In rare cases they are rock hard and they may show areas of cellular death (necrosis).

By using modern immunologic techniques, most lymphomas can be identified as B-cell, T-cell, or M-cell type; about 90% of lymphomas are of B-lymphocyte origin. A T-cell lymphoma that occurs in the skin, referred to as mycosis fungoides, is a lymphoma of a specific subtype of lymphocyte labeled a T-helper/inducer lymphocyte. It is that subtype that is depleted in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). See also Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); Cellular immunology; Immunology.

Most diagnoses of lymphoma are made by surgical removal of a lymph node. Once a diagnosis of lymphoma is established, the patient usually must undergo a series of staging studies. These include a liver-spleen scan to determine if those organs are involved as well as a bone marrow biopsy to check for the presence of malignant cells. See also Oncology.

The treatment of lymphomas depends on the type of lymphoma diagnosed. Lymphomas in the low-grade group are usually not treated, since treatment does not increase life expectancy. Patients who have Hodgkin's disease or who have intermediate or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are usually treated with chemotherapy with or without concurrent radiation. Most cases of Hodgkin's disease and more than half the cases of intermediate and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are potentially curable. Persons with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas usually have a life expectancy of 7–10 years, although some live considerably longer. Treatment protocols are now being developed for the low-grade lymphomas in the hope of increasing life expectancy. See also Chemotherapy; Lymphatic system.

Dental Dictionary: lymphoma
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(limfō'mə)
n

Any neoplasm made up of lymphoid tissue.

Veterinary Dictionary: lymphomatous
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Pertaining to, or of the nature of, lymphoma.

Wikipedia: Lymphoma
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Lymphoma
Classification and external resources

Gastric MALT lymphoma
ICD-10 C81.-C96.
ICD-O: 9590-9999
MeSH D008223
This article is about lymphoma in humans. For the disease in dogs, cats, and ferrets, see lymphoma in animals.
Acap.svg
 This article may require copy-editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (October 2009)

Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphocytes of the immune system and presents as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells.[1] They often originate like balls in lymph nodes, presenting as an enlargement of the node (a tumor). Lymphomas are closely related to lymphoid leukemias, which also originate in lymphocytes but typically involve only circulating blood and the bone marrow (where blood cells are generated in a process termed haematopoesis) and do not usually form static tumours.[1] There are many types of lymphomas, and in turn, lymphomas are a part of the broad group of diseases called hematological neoplasms.

Thomas Hodgkin published in 1832 the first description of lymphoma, specifically of the form named after him, Hodgkin's lymphoma.[2] Since then many other forms of lymphoma have been described, grouped under several proposed classifications. The 1982 Working formulation classification became very popular. It introduced the category non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), itself divided into 16 different diseases. However, since these different lymphomas have little in common with each other, the NHL label is of limited usefulness for doctors or patients and is slowly being abandoned. The latest classification by the WHO (2001) lists 43 different forms of lymphoma divided in four broad groups.

Some forms of lymphoma are categorized as indolent (e.g. small lymphocytic lymphoma), compatible with a long life even without treatment, whereas other forms are aggressive (e.g. Burkitt's lymphoma), causing rapid deterioration and death. However, most of the aggressive lymphomas respond well to treatment and are curable. The prognosis therefore depends on the correct classification of the disease, established by a pathologist after examination of a biopsy.[3]

Although older classifications referred to histiocytic lymphomas, these are recognized in newer classifications as of B, T or NK cell lineage. True histiocytic malignancies are rare and are classified as sarcomas.[4]

Contents

Classification

Kiel classification

As an alternative to the American Lukes-Butler classification, in the early 1970s, Karl Lennert of Kiel, Germany, proposed a new system of classifying lymphomas based on cellular morphology and their relationship to cells of the normal peripheral lymphoid system.[5]

REAL classification

In the mid 1990s, the Revised European-American Lymphoma (REAL) Classification attempted to apply immunophenotypic and genetic features in identifying distinct clinicopathologic NHL entities.[6]

WHO classification

The WHO Classification, published in 2001 and updated in 2008,[4] is the latest classification of lymphoma and is based upon the foundations laid within the "Revised European-American Lymphoma classification" (REAL). This system attempts to group lymphomas by cell type (i.e. the normal cell type that most resembles the tumour) and defining phenotypic, molecular or cytogenetic characteristics. There are three large groups: the B cell, T cell, and natural killer cell tumours. Other less common groups, are also recognized. Hodgkin's lymphoma, although considered separately within the WHO (and preceding) classifications, is now recognized as being a tumour of, albeit markedly abnormal, lymphocytes of mature B cell lineage.

Mature B cell neoplasms

DNA-microarray analysis of Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) showing differences in gene expression patterns. Colors indicate levels of expression; green indicates genes that are underexpressed in lymphoma cells (as compared to normal cells), whereas red indicates genes that are overexpressed in lymphoma cells.

Mature T cell and natural killer (NK) cell neoplasms

Hodgkin lymphoma

Immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders

  • Associated with a primary immune disorder
  • Associated with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  • Post-transplant
  • Associated with methotrexate therapy

Working formulation and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The 1982 Working Formulation is a classification of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. It has since been replaced by other lymphoma classifications, the latest published by the WHO in 2001 (updated in September 2008), but is still used by cancer agencies for compilation of lymphoma statistics.

Other classification systems

Cause

Association of medications with lymphoma

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients treated with the cancer medications, 6-Mercaptopurine (Purinethol) and Azathioprine (Imuran) are at a greater risk for developing lymphoma. This risk is 4 times higher than the general population. [7]

Diagnosis, etiology, staging, prognosis, and treatment

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See the article of the corresponding form of lymphoma.

Epidemiology

Age-standardized death from lymphomas and multiple myeloma per 100,000 inhabitants in 2004.[8]
     no data      less than 1.8      1.8-3.6      3.6-5.4      5.4-7.2      7.2-9      9-10.8      10.8-12.6      12.6-14.4      14.4-16.2      16.2-18      18-19.8      more than 19.8

Lymphoma is the most common form of hematological malignancy, or "blood cancer", in the developed world.

Taken together, lymphomas represent 5.3% of all cancers (excluding simple basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers) in the United States, and 55.6% of all blood cancers.[9]

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, lymphomas account for about five percent of all cases of cancer in the United States, and Hodgkin's lymphoma in particular accounts for less than one percent of all cases of cancer in the United States.

Because the whole system is part of the body's immune system, patients with a weakened immune system, such as from HIV infection or from certain drugs or medication, also have a higher incidence of lymphoma.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Parham, Peter (2005). The immune system. New York: Garland Science. p. 414. ISBN 0-8153-4093-1. 
  2. ^ Hellman, Samuel; Mauch, P.M. Ed. (1999). Hodgkin's Disease. Chapter 1: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 5. ISBN 0-7817-1502-4. 
  3. ^ Wagman LD. "Principles of Surgical Oncology" in Pazdur R, Wagman LD, Camphausen KA, Hoskins WJ (Eds) Cancer Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach. 11 ed. 2008.
  4. ^ a b ed. by Elaine S. Jaffe .... (2001). Pathology and Genetics of Haemo (World Health Organization Classification of Tumours S.). Oxford Univ Pr. ISBN 92-832-2411-6. 
  5. ^ Lennert, Karl; Feller, Alfred C.; Jacques Diebold; M. Paulli; A. Le Tourneau (2002). Histopathology of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (Based on the Updated Kiel Classification). Berlin: Springer. pp. 2. ISBN 3-540-63801-6. 
  6. ^ www.emedicine.com on Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
  7. ^ "Increased risk of lymphoma among inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine". www.crd.york.ac.uk. http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/CRDWeb/ShowRecord.asp?ID=12005004101. 
  8. ^ "WHO Disease and injury country estimates". World Health Organization. 2009. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/estimates_country/en/index.html. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2009. 
  9. ^ Horner MJ, Ries LAG, Krapcho M, Neyman N, et al. (eds).. "SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2006". Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER). Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2006/. Retrieved 03 November 2009. "Table 1.4: Age-Adjusted SEER Incidence and U.S. Death Rates and 5-Year Relative Survival Rates By Primary Cancer Site, Sex and Time Period" 

External links

v • d • e
Hematological malignancy/leukemia histology (ICD-O 9590-9989, C81-C96, 200-208)
Lymphoid/Lymphoproliferative, Lymphomas/Lymphoid leukemias (9590-9739, 9800-9839)
By development/
marker
By infection
By development/
marker
By location/peripheral
By infection
NK cell/
(most CD56)
T or NK
Lymphoid+myeloid
lymphocyte navs: cells/physio, immunodeficiency/immunoproliferative immunoglobulin/neoplasia, proc

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Oncology Encyclopedia. Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer. Copyright © 2006 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sci-Tech Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
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Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lymphoma".  Read more