Large-cell lymphoma explained

Large-cell lymphoma
Field:	Oncology

The large-cell lymphomas have large cells. One classification system for lymphomas divides the diseases according to the size of the white blood cells that have turned cancerous. A large cell, in this context, has a diameter of 17 to 20 μm.^[1] Other groups of lymphomas in this system are the small-cell lymphomas and mixed-cell lymphomas.

Types

B cell

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common of the large-cell lymphomas. MeSH now classifies the phrase "large-cell lymphoma" under "Diffuse large B cell lymphoma".

Many other B-cell lymphomas feature large cells:

• Angiocentric lymphoma
• Burkitt's lymphoma
• Follicular large-cell lymphoma
• Immunoblastic lymphoma
• Intravascular large-cell lymphoma
• Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma
• T-cell–rich B-cell lymphoma
• Primary splenic lymphoma (rare)
• Primary central nervous system lymphomas, which are often diffuse large-B-cell lymphomas
• Richter's transformation: Diffuse Large B-cell Variant
• 1) ABC subtype (common)
• 2) GCB subtype (rare)

Activated B-Cell Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, or ABC-DLBCL, is believed to be caused by aberrant activation of a critical intracellular pathway.This intracellular signaling pathway involved in B-cell activation and proliferation stays constantly activated, driving lymphocytes to proliferate continuously.The inhibition of this pathway can be induced by a drug known as NEMO Binding Domain, or NBD, a peptide causing increased cell death of malignant lymphocytes.

T cell

Less commonly, a large-cell lymphoma may feature T cells. Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma is an example of a large-cell lymphoma that involves T cells. Of the large-cell T-cell lymphomas, it has the best prognosis.

Notes and References

1. Book: Turgeon, Mary Louise . Clinical hematology: theory and procedures . registration . Lippincott Williams & Wilkins . Hagerstown, MD . 2005 . 221 . 0-7817-5007-5.