Haematological Malignancies 3: lymphoma and myeloma Flashcards
How is lymphoma different to infection?
Tenderness in lymph nodes indicates infection.
What are malignant lymphomas?
Replacement of normal lymphoid tissue by abnormal cells
What are the main types of lymphoma?
Non-hodgkin lymphoma (many sub-types)
Hodgkin lymphoma
What is the difference between leukaemias and lymphomas?
Leukaemias involve the bone marrow and the blood.
Tissue sites are affected by lymphomas.
There is some overlap; CLL starts in the bone marrow and spreads to lymphoid tissues making it look identical.
How is NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma classified?
B vs T cell (WHO)
Cells: morphology and immunology and stage of normal lymphoid cell maturation.
Grade: low vs high (aggressive)
What virus can cause NHL to develop?
Ebstein Barr virus
What bacterial infection can cause NHL?
Helicobacter Pylori
What is a possible reason for the rising incidence of NHL?
The aging population (because NHL correlates with age)
What are the clinical features of NHL?
Enlarged lymph nodes.
Hepato-splenomegaly
Systemic symptoms (Fever, night sweats, weight loss) [cytokine release by cells of lymphoma]
Lymphadenopathy
Interference with normal organ function
Bone marrow failure
How is NHL diagnosed?
Pathology of tissue involved:
Pattern
Cell size: small, large
Cell differentiation: well or poorly defined
Cell phenotype: B / T cells
Genetics: karyotyping and FISH
How is NHL staged?
Extent of disease (radiological imaging to look for spread to other tissue from the source)
Imaging: CT or PET scan of neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis
BM sample
Lumbar puncture (CSF indicates potential spread to brain)
What is follicular lymphoma?
A low grade B cell NHL which has is caused by a t(14,18) translocation.
What is Burkitt lymphoma?
A NHL lymphoma commonly caused by Ebsteinn Barr Virus which is endemic to Africa and is quite aggressive.
What is diffuse large B cell lymphoma?
A type of NHL that is increasing in number and is quite aggressive
How common is follicular lymphoma?
2nd most common type of NHL
How does follicular lymphoma look at diagnosis?
Usually widely disseminated at diagnosis
How is follicular lymphoma diagnosed?
CD20, CD10, and BCL2 positive on flow cytometry.
What is the 5-year survival rate of follicular lymphoma?
70 - 80%
What is follicular lymphoma growth like?
It can be slow growth and then transform to an aggressive NHL
How is follicular lymphoma treated?
Watch and wait if indolent
Options:
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy (CHOP regimen)
Antibody-based therapy: anti-CD20 (rituximab)
Combination therapy with antibody + chemotherapy
Transplant options
What indicates treatment of NHL?
Constitutional symptoms such as painful lymph nodes.
Anatomical obstruction or organ dysfunction
Cytopenias
What pattern is typical of follicular lymphoma trephine?
Follicular pattern
Predominantly small cells
What translocation is typical of follicular lymphoma?
t(14;18)(q32,q21)
What protein expression is up-regulated by follicular lymphoma?
Up-regulates expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2