Lymphoma Flashcards
What is Lymphoma?
cancers that begin by the “malignant transformation” of a lymphocyte in the lymphatic system
What are many lymphomas due to?
Whats an example?
specific genetic mutations
Follicular lymphoma due to overexpression of BCL-2 (gene that blocks programmed cell death)
Where does lymphoma start?
Leukemia is a cancer of what?
cancer that starts in the lymph nodes or lymphatic system
a tumor or cancer of white blood cells or bone marrow
How does lymphoma spread?
How does leukemia spread?
invades other organs by unnecessary and uncontrollable growth of lymphoid tissue
produces abnormal white blood cells which inhibits the function of the immune system and platelet function
(reduced, abnormal white cells and lack of fucntion of other cells)
How will lymphomas present?
How will leukemia present?
present with signs of swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin which are frequently painful
patients have symptoms typical of other cancers and may have no early telling symptoms, especially if chronic (fatigue, malaise, blah)
How to classify lymphoma?
3
- Based on the grade or “aggressiveness”
- Divided into Hodgkin’s lymphoma and NHL
- NHL divided into B and T cell
HOw is Hodgkin’s lymphoma characterized?
Who does it affect mostly?
How does it spread? and what cells does it involve?
reed-sternberg cells (look like an owl)
Bimodel incidence: young adults and elderly
Spreads in an ordely fashion and throughtout the lymphatic system and involves abnormal B cells
What are all other lymphomas called?
Who is it most often seen in?
How does it spread?
What cells are involved?
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
affects adults, average age of 60
disordly fashion (plays hide and seek with the physician)
Abnormal B cells (most common) or T cells
What are the types of HL?
4
What is the most common?
What is the one that responds best to treatment?
What is the best that repsonds worst to treatment?
Nodular sclerosis (most common)
Mixed cellularity
Lymphocyte rich
Lymphocyte depeletion
What are the categories of the special kinds of NHL that are different from the others?
2 categories
2 and 3
Describe them
Indolent
- follicular lymphoma
- MALT lymphoma (tumors in gut that are muscosal associated)
Slow growing, varies sites, disorderly
Aggressive
- diffuse large B cell lymphoma (most common)
- AIDS associated lymphoma
- Burkitt’s lymphoma
Symtpoms of HL Lymphoma
6
- painless enlargemntt of lymph nose usually in the neck armpits or groin
- swelling from edema in legs or feet
- shortness of breath, fatigue
- weight loss, muscle weakness
- Pel-Ebstein fever (very very variable fever), night sweats!!!
- increased susceptibility to infections
Why are these masses painless?
Slow growth, pain comes from the strecthing of the tissue so its not painful. Its painful if its acute
-capsule of the liver as the pain fibers and if the liver enlarges rapidly he will present with pain
What are the two ways that swelling happens in HL lymphoma?
(lymphatics might be blocked or decreased albumin = fluid goes into tissue)
decrease in oncotic pressure or increased hydrostatic pressure
Symtpoms of NHL?
10
- Rapid, painless (however pain is more common than in HL) enlargment of of lymph nodes
- Progressive swellling of legs, swelling of face
- Pale skin or dark itchy patches of skin
- Difficulty breathing, chest pain
- Pleural effusion, causing persistant cough
- bloating, cramping, diahhrea, flatuence
- abdominal pain or distention, constipation
- unexpplained appetite loss, weight loss
- fever, causing excessive night sweating
- increased susceptibility to infections
How does staging of lymphoma classify tumors?
What system do we use?
What is this helpful with?
Staging classifies tumors into categories based on where the tumor is present
Ann Arbor system (AAS)
Useful in determining specific treatments, prognosis
Name the steps in the staging process?
7
CXR CT scans Bone marrow aspiration/biopsy PET scan Gallium scan (will see hot spots) MRI Lumbar puncture (see if it has spread to brain or spinal fluid)
Name the site involvement for the floowing stages: Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
- Single LN region or extralymphatic organ or site
- Cancer in 2 or more groups of LN on same side of diaphragm (above or below)
- Cancer in groups of LN both above and below diaphragm
- Cancer has spread to one or more organ or tissue sites
Describe the substaging of lymphoma: A B E (extranodal) S (spleen)
So what does 1B mean?
What does 3E mean?
A. No systemic symptoms present at diagnosis (B-Symptoms absent)
B. B-Symptoms present (fever, night sweats, weight loss)
E. Cancer in an area or organ other than LN or spread to tissues outside lymphatic system
S. Cancer spread present in the spleen
How does grading of lymphoma describe and what kind of lymphoma is it used for?
What are the grades?
Used in NHL, which describes how quickly cancer is growing
Low, Intermediate, or high grade
Other grading: indolent or aggressive
Describe Low, Intermediate, and High grades of NHL.
- (slow growing, incurable)
therapy really wont help, but good because slow - (rapid growing, potentially curable) respnd very rapidly to treatment
- (fastest growing, potentially curable)
What are the diseases associated with low grade? 3
What are the disease associated with intermediate grade? 3
What are diseases associated with high grade? 4
Follicular, small lymphocytic, Waldenstrom’s
Diffuse large B cell, mantle cell, anaplastic large (T cell) NHL
Burkitt’s lymphoma
lymphoblastic lymphoma
What kind fo tumors have the best response to therapy?
faster growing (but tend to reoccur after treatment)
What does indolent grade mean?
Grow very slowly, need little or no treatment until symptoms appear. Tend to reoccur after treatment.
What does aggressive grade mean?
Grow quickly, symptomatic and treatment required immediately. Can be treated with intense chemotherapy
Risk factors for HL?
in young people
- diagnostic history of mononucleosis increaes young adult HL
- Sibling diagnosed with HL
Risk factors for NHL?
5
- toxic compounds in atmosphere
- Epstein-Barr Virus after organ transplant
- H. pylori causing MALT lymphoma
- Hep C
- Genetic
Risk factors for both HL and NHL?
4
- HIV
- AIDS
- Human T lymphocyte virus
- suppressed immune function