Distribution and clinicopathologic characteristics of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in India: a study of 935 cases using WHO classification of lymphoid neoplasms (2000)

The frequency of various subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) differs in various regions worldwide. We studied distribution of various subtypes of NHL by using WHO classification of lymphoid neoplasms (2000), immunophenotyping and clinicopathologic characteristics of various histologic subtypes in 935 cases. B- and T-cell NHL constituted 79.3% and 18.8% of cases. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBL) was the most common subtype (50.2%). A lower frequency of follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) was noted compared to that observed in the developed countries, whereas a lower frequency of peripheral T-cell lymphoma - not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma was seen compared to that in the other Asian countries. A higher frequency of DLBL and precursor T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma was noted. Extranodal and bone marrow involvement in MCL and PTCL-NOS was less frequent. Anaplastic variant of DLBL was noted in 21.5% of all DLBLs. Null/T-cell anaplastic large cell lymphoma presented in the older age.     

Malignant lymphoma in southern Taiwan according to the revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current study was to determine the distribution and relative frequency of each subtype of malignant lymphoma in southern Taiwan according to the revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms (REAL). METHODS: The pathology files of a regional hospital in southern Taiwan for 1989-1998 were searched for malignant lymphoma, lymphoproliferative disorder, and Hodgkin disease (HD). The results of light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA (EBER) were correlated with clinical findings, and all cases were classified according to REAL. RESULTS: A total of 205 cases were analyzed retrospectively. There were 197 cases (96.1%) of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 8 cases (3. 9%) of HD. Among the 197 NHL cases, 161 (81.7%) were of B-cell lineage and 36 (18.3%) were of T-/natural killer cell lineage. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, extranodal marginal zone lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma were the most common B-cell subtypes and represented 47.2%, 19.3%, and 6.1%, respectively, of all NHL cases. Among the 36 cases of T-/natural killer cell lineage, unspecified peripheral T-cell lymphoma (8.6%), T-/natural killer cell lymphoma (angiocentric lymphoma) (4.1%), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (3.6%) were the most common subtypes. Seven of eight T-/natural killer cell lymphoma cases were positive for EBER. The eight cases of HD were classified as lymphocyte-rich classic (two cases), nodular sclerosis (two cases), and mixed cellularity (four cases) subtypes. Three of these eight cases were positive for EBER. CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge this study is the first in Taiwan using the REAL classification and it again confirms the different geographic distribution of the various subtypes of malignant lymphoma. The frequency of T-/natural killer cell lineage NHL in Taiwan is higher than that in Western countries but not as high as reported previously.     

FDG-PET in T-cell and NK-cell neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies demonstrate the utility of (18)fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in the management of malignant lymphoma. The results of FDG-PET, however, have not been studied extensively for T-cell and natural killer (NK)-cell neoplasms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated pretreatment FDG-PET scans in 41 patients with T/NK-cell neoplasms diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. Histological subtypes frequently included were peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified (PTCLu, n = 11), extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL, n = 8), primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (C-ALCL, n = 5), and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILT, n = 4). RESULTS: FDG-PET detected a lymphoma lesion in at least one site in 36 out of 41 patients. The positive rate was equally high in most histological subtypes except for cutaneous lymphomas: PTCLu 91%, ENKL 100%, C-ALCL 60%, AILT 100%. All the patients without an FDG-avid lesion had lesions restricted to skin. Among patients who had cutaneous lesions, only 50% had FDG-avid cutaneous lesions, all of which were tumorous. The positive rate of FDG-PET for bone marrow involvement was only 20%. CONCLUSION: T/NK-cell neoplasms incorporated in this study were generally FDG-avid except for cutaneous lesions and bone marrow involvement.     

Practical utility of the revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms for Japanese non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

A clinicopathological study of 515 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cases was performed using the revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms (REAL classification) in an HTLV1-nonendemic area of Japan. The following characteristics were revealed: 1) frequency of extranodal lymphomas was high (59%) with 79% B-cell lymphomas in this series, while the overall ratio of B:T/NK lineage was 3.7:1; 2) the most common type was the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (46%), follicle center lymphomas occurred at an incidence lower (15%) than that in European and American populations, and marginal zone B-cell lymphomas accounted for as much as 12%; 3) peripheral T-cell lymphomas were common (19%), with the unspecified type predominant (11%), while adult T-cell lymphomas were present at a level equivalent to that among European and American patients (1%). Clear segregation of survival curves was rated according to cell lineage and B-cell lymphomas had a better prognosis than T / NK-cell lymphomas. Furthermore, new subtypes in the REAL classification, such as marginal zone B-cell and mantle cell lymphomas, exhibited distinct curves. Taken altogether, the REAL classification demonstrated advantages for assessment of Japanese NHL cases.     

The rapidly changing landscape in mature T-cell lymphoma (MTCL) biology and management

Historical advances in the care of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have been restricted largely to patients with B-cell lymphoma. The peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs), which are rare and heterogeneous in nature, have yet to experience the same degree of improvement in outcome over the past 20 to 30 years. It is estimated that there are approximately 80,000 and 14,000 cases, respectively, of NHL and Hodgkin lymphoma per year in the United States. As a subgroup of NHL, the PTCLs account for 6% to 10% of all cases of NHL, making them exceedingly rare. In addition, the World Health Organization 2017 classification describes 29 distinct subtypes of PTCL. This intrinsic diversity, coupled with its rarity, has stymied progress in the disease. In addition, most subtypes carry an inferior prognosis compared with their B-cell counterparts, an outcome largely attributed to the fact that most treatment paradigms for patients with PTCL have been derived from B-cell neoplasms, a radically different disease. In fact, the first drug ever approved for patients with PTCL was approved only a decade ago. The plethora of recent drug approvals in PTCL, coupled with a deeper understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the disease, has stimulated the field to pursue new avenues of research that are now largely predicated on the development of novel, targeted small molecules, which include a host of epigenetic modifiers and biologics. There is an expectation these advances may begin to favorably challenge the chemotherapy paradigms that have been used in the T-cell malignancies.     

Natural killer-cell neoplasms

The natural killer (NK)-cell neoplasms are rare, representing less than 1% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, except in Asia and Latin America, where they represent 3% to 6%. NK-cell neoplasms include immature acute leukemias; a blastic NK-cell lymphoma, which is obsolete because of its plasmacytoid dendritic-cell origin; and mature NK neoplasms, comprising extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL), nasal-type; aggressive NK-cell leukemia; and chronic NK-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, which are often reactive. Epstein-Barr virus is usually detected in tumor cells of ENKL and aggressive NK-cell leukemia. The latter two mature NK neoplasms are relatively chemoresistant because of the frequent expression of P-glycoprotein. Early radiation is advocated for localized nasal ENKL. Stem cell transplantation is recommended for advanced disease, owing to a poor prognosis. Novel agents, including chemotherapy, inhibitors of molecular pathways, and monoclonal antibodies, are under investigation.     

Practical Utility of the Revised European-American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms for Japanese Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas

A clinicopathological study of 515 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cases was performed using the revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms (REAL classification) in an HTLV1-nonendemic area of Japan. The following characteristics were revealed: 1) frequency of extranodal lymphomas was high (59%) with 79% B-cell lymphomas in this series, while the overall ratio of B:T/NK lineage was 3.7:1; 2) the most common type was the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (46%), follicle center lymphomas occurred at an incidence lower (15%) than that in European and American populations, and marginal zone B-cell lymphomas accounted for as much as 12%; 3) peripheral T-cell lymphomas were common (19%), with the unspecified type predominant (11%), while adult T-cell lymphomas were present at a level equivalent to that among European and American patients (1%). Clear segregation of survival curves was rated according to cell lineage and B-cell lymphomas had a better prognosis than T/NK-cell lymphomas. Furthermore, new subtypes in the REAL classification, such as marginal zone B-cell and mantle cell lymphomas, exhibited distinct curves. Taken altogether, the REAL classification demonstrated advantages for assessment of Japanese NHL cases.     

Chromosomal abnormalities of 200 Chinese patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Taiwan: with special reference to T-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: The distribution of the histopathological subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is different among various geographical areas. However, there are few reports concerning cytogenetic findings of NHL, especially T-cell lymphoma, in Asian people. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the chromosomal abnormalities of 200 adult patients with NHL in Taiwan and correlated the non-random aberrations with the histological subtypes. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-eight patients (69%) had B-cell lymphoma. The incidence of the t(14;18) in total lymphoma was lower in Taiwan (12%) than in the West (20-30%), but its incidence in follicular lymphoma was comparable between the two areas (17 of 28 patients, 61% versus approximately 50-60%). Sixty-two patients (31%) had T-cell lymphoma, including 11 angiocentric T/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoma and only two angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILD). The recurrent chromosomal abnormalities in T-cell lymphoma comprised 6q deletion (30%), 11q deletion (20%), 17p deletion (16%), -17 (16%), -Y (14%) and + 8 (11%). Angiocentric T/NK-cell lymphoma had a significantly higher frequency of 1q duplication (P=0.001), 6p duplication (P <0.001) and 11q deletion (P=0.011) than other T-cell lymphoma. The incidences of +3 and +5, two common abnormalities in AILD, were quite low in T-cell lymphoma in Taiwan (4% and 2%, respectively), compared with those in the West (16-32% and approximately 15%, respectively). The 11q deletion, not a common aberration in T-cell lymphoma in western countries, occurred quite frequently in Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS: The chromosomal aberrations of NHL are quite different among various geographical areas, which may reflect the differences in the distribution of the histological subtypes of lymphoma among various areas.     

非霍奇金淋巴瘤1012例临床病理分析

目的:了解我院近10年来非霍奇金淋巴瘤(NHL)的发病特点,分析影响NHL预后的相关因素.方法:回顾性分析了近10年来我院收治的1012例NHL患者的临床病理特点,对影响新疆地区NHL生存率及预后的临床病理因素进行分析.结果:1012例NHL中以40～60岁汉族男性发病多见,最主要病理类型依次为弥漫性大B细胞淋巴瘤(DLBCL)346例(34.1%),外周T细胞淋巴瘤(PTCL)185例(18.3%),滤泡淋巴瘤(FL)97例(9.6%),黏膜相关淋巴组织淋巴瘤(MALT)94例(9.3%),NK/T细胞淋巴瘤62例(6.1%),T-淋巴母细胞淋巴瘤(T-LBL)47例(4.6%).结性起病的淋巴瘤619例(61.2%),结外起病的淋巴瘤393例(38.8%).本组维吾尔族女性FL淋巴瘤患者人数比例较汉族女性患者高(P=0.002),汉族男性PTCL患者人数比例高于维吾尔族男性患者(P=0.015).5年总生存率为45.8%.单因素分析显示临床分期,行为状态评分(PS),B症状,年龄,肿块大小,血清乳酸脱氢酶(LDH),结外器官受侵数目及IPI是NHL的预后因素(P＜0.05).多因素分析提示T细胞来源,Ⅲ～Ⅳ临床分期,IPI评分3～5分及LDH增高是NHL独立的预后不良因素(P＜0.05).结论:新疆地区NHL发病以中年多见,结性起病者多于结外起病,B细胞淋巴瘤多于T细胞淋巴瘤.免疫分型、临床分期、IPI、血清LDH水平与NHL预后相关.     

PET in T-Cell Lymphoma

Most non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) are of B-cell origin; only about 10% are T-cell or NK-cell lymphomas. The clinical features of T/NK-cell lymphomas differ from those of B-cell lymphomas: advanced stage and extranodal disease are more common and the prognosis is worse. Several studies have confirmed that 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG) uptake varies among different subtypes of lymphoma, a disparity that can be explained by the differences in histology, proliferation of tumor cells, and the ratio of viable tumor and reactive cells in the environment. These observations are based on investigation of B-cell lymphomas. Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) was found to be useful both at staging and at measuring the therapeutic outcome after two to three cycles of chemotherapy (interim PET/CT). Several meta-analyses have confirmed the role of PET in evaluating the viability of the residual tumor mass after treatment. 18FDG-PET has been proved to have an excellent negative predictive value. Conversely, only a few studies have investigated the role of FDG-PET in T/NK-cell lymphomas. This paper summarizes the current information regarding the potential use of PET/CT in patients with T-cell lymphoma.     

Epidemiology of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: Distributions of the major subtypes differ by geographic locations

Background: There has been no previous systematic study of the distribution of the major subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) across geographic regions, although there have been isolated reports of such differences.Design: As part of a clinical evaluation of the International Lymphoma Study Group (ILSG) classification of NHL, we classified 1378 NHLs from eight different geographic sites (Omaha, NE, USA; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Capetown, South Africa; London, England; Würzburg/Göttingen, Germany; Lyon, France; Locarno/Bellinzona, Switzerland; and Hong Kong) using the ILSG classification.Results: Substantial differences were found in the distribution of the major subtypes of NHL across geographic regions (P < 0.0001). A greater percentage of follicular lymphoma was seen in North America, London and Capetown (31% versus 14% at other sites). Peripheral T-cell lymphoma was more common in London, Capetown and Hong Kong (9%) than elsewhere (3%). In Locarno/Bellinzona, higher percentages of mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (9% versus 2% elsewhere) and mantle cell lymphoma (14% versus 6% elsewhere) were seen. Angiocentric nasal T-/NK-cell lymphoma was only seen in Hong Kong (8%) and Lyon (2%).Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that the distribution of NHL subtypes differs by geographic region. These findings suggest that geographical differences in etiologic or host factors may be responsible for the observed differences in the distribution of cases across NHL subtypes.     

Malignant lymphomas of bone in Japan

Thirty-four cases of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of bone collected from hospitals in Japan were histologically and immunohistologically reviewed, and the results were compared with those in Western countries. There were no remarkable differences in age, sex, and the distribution of bone tumors between Japanese and Western cases. Sixteen cases (47%) diagnosed previously as "reticulum cell sarcoma" were reclassified as diffuse NHL of large cell (seven cases), mixed type (four cases), immunoblastic type (three cases), clear cell type (one case), and multilobated type (one case). The cases with small lymphocytic type with plasmacytoid features (lymphoplasmacytic type) were more common in Japan (35% of our cases) than in Western countries. The distribution of histologic subtypes, except for lymphoplasmacytic and T-cell lymphomas, in the current cases was similar to that in Western countries. However, immunohistochemistry showed that Japanese cases contained a much higher frequency of T-cell lymphoma (10% of all cases) than Western cases. Histologic grade according to the Working Formulation correlated well with clinical stage. There may be a tendency towards better prognosis with lower grade tumors, but this was not statistically significant.     

青海地区淋巴瘤253例临床特点与预后因素分析

目的 分析淋巴瘤的临床特点及预后相关因素.方法 对青海地区253例淋巴瘤患者临床资料进行回顾性研究并随访.采用Kaplan-Meier法分析患者不同临床特点及实验室检查的生存期差异.采用Cox比例风险回归模型分析影响预后的因素.结果 253例淋巴瘤患者中,男、女比例为1.56∶1,中位年龄为48岁,发病年龄高峰为40岁和60岁左右.结内起病（56.13％）较多,结外起病常见部位为鼻咽部和胃肠道.病理类型为霍奇金淋巴瘤40例（15.81％）,非霍奇金淋巴瘤213例（84.19％）.前者以结节硬化型（72.50％）最多见;后者中B细胞淋巴瘤148例（69.48％）,最常见的病理类型为弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤（39.91％）、滤泡细胞淋巴瘤（12.21％）及周围T细胞非特殊型淋巴瘤（9.39％）.单因素预后分析显示,临床分期、有无B症状、血红蛋白（Hb）、乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）、国际预后指数（IPI）及治疗方案与非霍奇金淋巴瘤预后密切相关（均P＜0.05）.Cox回归模型多因素分析显示,临床分期、IPI及治疗方案与非霍奇金淋巴瘤的预后关系密切,差异有统计学意义（均P＜0.05）.结论 青海地区淋巴瘤发病年龄有两个高峰,结内发病高于结外,B细胞淋巴瘤多见,IPI分组适用于该地区非霍奇金淋巴瘤的预后评估,并可作为其独立的预后因素.     

Ki-1-positive large cell lymphomas, a heterogenous group of neoplasms. Morphologic, immunophenotypic, genotypic, and clinical features of 24 cases.

Clinical and pathologic features of 24 patients with large cell lymphomas that expressed the activation antigen Ki-1 are described. Phenotypic and/or genotypic studies characterized these neoplasms as T-cell (16 cases), B-cell (six cases), or null cell (two cases) type. Males predominantly were affected. Age of patients ranged from 19 to 73 years, with a bimodal distribution, with peaks in the third and seventh decades. Lymphadenopathy was present in nearly all patients. Extranodal involvement, including skin, soft tissue, bone, central nervous system, lung, or small intestine was observed in a total of 54% of the patients, either at presentation or during the course of disease. "Prototypic" features of large cell anaplastic lymphomas were observed for eight T-cell lymphomas, with morphologic heterogeneity noted for the remainder. Eight patients, all with T-cell neoplasms (only one with prototypic morphology), have died of lymphoma (median survival, 5 months). An antecedent history of a lymphoproliferative disorder (mycosis fungoides, B-cell lymphoma, immunoblastic lymphadenopathy) was apparent in seven patients. An 8-year history of Crohn's disease occurred in one patient with a T-cell lymphoma involving small intestine. Phenotypically, loss of one or more markers was typically noted for T-cell neoplasms. Leukocyte common antigen was detected in all cases, although partial loss of immunoreactivity was noticed in some cases. Nearly all cases evaluated for Ia antigen or alpha-1-antichymotrysin were reactive. Eleven of 16 T-cell, two of six B-cell, and two null cell lymphomas expressed epithelial membrane antigen. Ki-1-positive large cell lymphomas are characterized by clinical, morphologic, and immunophenotypic heterogeneity.     

Hepatosinusoidal leukaemia/lymphoma consisting of epstein-barr virus-containing natural killer cell leukaemia/lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma; mimicking malignant histiocytosis

Previously diagnosed cases of hepatosinusoidal T-cell lymphoma and malignant histiocytosis (MH) may include lymphoid neoplasms of natural killer (NK) cell lineage associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Such hepatosinusoidal neoplasms were found to demonstrate hepatomegaly but not lymphadenopathy, and all were diagnosed by a liver biopsy. Sixteen adult patients diagnosed with hepatosinusoidal leukaemia/lymphoma (six NK-cell leukaemia/lymphomas [NKLLs], five instances of MH, three T-cell malignant lymphomas [T-MLs], and two adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphomas [ATLLs] were examined for EBV by in situ hybridization, then were studied immunohistochemically and subjected to a DNA analysis. Among our five patients with MH, neoplastic cells showed T-cells, but no histiocytic markers, and they were considered to have either a T-cell or NK-cell lineage. All NKLLs, MHs and T-MLs, except for ATLLs accompanied by reactive hemophagocytic histiocytes, varied in number in each case. In situ hybridization revealed the presence of EBV in the nuclei of atypical cells in all of the six lymphoid neoplasms of NK-cell lineage. Each case of MH and each T-ML which represented EBV demonstrated no definite T-cell or histiocytic markers. Patients with ATLL did not reveal EBV. In all patients with hemophagocytosis, EBV was present in the nuclei of the neoplastic lymphocytes, but not in the hemophagocytic cells. Finally, the 16 cases were reclassified into eight cases with EBV -containing NKLLs, six T-MLs, and two ATLLs. In addition, no true histiocytic neoplasms were observed. The mechanism of hemophagocytosis may be therefore the production of lymphokines (macrophage-activating factors) by neoplastic lymphocytes. EBV-associated hepatosinusoidal leukaemia/lymphoma may thus contain a lymphoid neoplasm of NK-cell lineage, which made it difficult to be distinguished from the previously designated malignant histiocytosis.     

鼻腔鼻窦非霍奇金淋巴瘤免疫表型及其与EB病毒感染的关系

背景与目的:鼻腔鼻窦非霍奇金淋巴瘤(non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,NHL)的患病率和免疫表型组成具有地域性差异.本研究探讨中国广州地区57例鼻腔鼻窦NHL免疫表型及其与EB病毒(Epstein-Barr virus,EBV)感染的关系.方法:收集2000年4月1日至2006年10月31日中山大学肿瘤防治中心病理科57例鼻腔鼻窦NHL标本.免疫组化染色确定免疫表型,EBER原位杂交及PCR检测EBV感染情况.结果:在同期诊断的1 412例NHL中,71例(5.03%)发生于鼻腔鼻窦,其中仅有57例适用于本研究.57例鼻腔鼻窦NHL患者中,男性38例,女性19例,年龄3～75岁,中位年龄50岁;44例(77.19%)为鼻型NK/T细胞淋巴瘤,其中37例(84.09%)为EBV /CD56 NK细胞肿瘤,7例(15.91%)为EBV /CD56-细胞毒性T细胞表型;11例(19.30%)为B细胞淋巴瘤,其中6例为弥漫大B表型,2例为Burkitt(Burkitt样)淋巴瘤(EBV ),1例为髓外浆细胞瘤(EBV ),1例为MALT淋巴瘤(EBV-),1例为小淋巴细胞性淋巴瘤(EBV-);2例(3.51%)为外周T细胞淋巴瘤(EBV-).37例适用DNA检测的病例中,25例(67.57%)感染缺失型LMP1(del-LMP1)EBV株,12例(32.43%)感染野生型LMP1(wt-LMP1)EBV株.结论:鼻腔鼻窦NHL最常见的类型为鼻型NK/T细胞淋巴瘤,可进一步分为EBV /CD56 NK细胞及EBV /CD56-细胞毒性T细胞表型.NK/T细胞淋巴瘤均感染了EBV,EBV株主要为del-LMP1型.     

A pathologic study of childhood lymphoma in Taiwan with special reference to peripheral T-cell lymphoma and the association with Epstein-Barr viral infection.

The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic and immunologic features of 65 consecutive cases of childhood lymphoma reported between 1980 and 1989. Southern blot hybridization was also performed in 23 cases to study their association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The 65 cases included 56 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (86%) and 9 Hodgkin's disease (HD) (14%). The NHL could be classified into the following groups: Group I, small noncleaved cell lymphoma (20 cases); Group II, lymphoblastic lymphoma (17 cases); Group III, large cell lymphoma (17 cases); and miscellaneous (2 cases). There was no follicular lymphoma case. Immunohistochemical study on paraffin sections and/or frozen specimens in 47 cases of NHL showed that all the Group I cases belonged to B-cell neoplasm (17 of 17 cases); most of the Group II cases belonged to T-cell neoplasm (9 of 14 cases); and most of the Group III cases were peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTL) (8 of 16 cases), including 2 cases of Ki-1 lymphoma. The majority of childhood NHL belonged to high-grade malignancy with an aggressive clinical course (median survival time, 8 months). The EBV DNA could be detected from the tumor tissues in 4 of 6 PTL, but in none of the remaining 19 cases of NHL including 6 Burkitt's type lymphomas. HTLV-1 proviral genome was not detected in all specimens examined. The authors concluded that the distribution pattern and clinicopathologic feature of childhood lymphoma in Taiwan are comparable to that in Japan and western countries. The frequent association of EBV with aggressive PTL was unique and deserves additional investigation.     

A Collaborative Nationwide Lymphoma Study in Lebanon: Incidence of Various Subtypes and Analysis of Associations with Viruses

Incidence of various Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes and association with viruses in Lebanon are not known. We undertook a nationwide study of 272 patients diagnosed with lymphoma in 2007. HL comprised 32.7 % (n?=?89) of cases while NHL represented 67.3 % (n?=?183). Consistent with the literature, nodular sclerosis was the most predominant HL subtype (n?=?57/89). Among NHL, B-cell NHL represented 88 % (n?=?161/183), T-cell NHL 9 % (n?=?17/183), whereas in 2.7 % it was not classifiable. The B-cell NHL comprised predominantly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (46 %) and follicular lymphoma (23 %). 81 cases were reviewed by a panel of pathologists with 87.6 % concordance rate. Serology was negative for hepatitis C in 122 tested cases. HIV was positive in 2 cases. Two adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma were HTLV-I positive. EBV IgG were positive in 88.5 % of cases. 38 EBV seropositive cases [27 NHL (24 B-cell, 3 T-cell) and 11 HL] were studied for EBV genome expression using EBV-encoded RNA (EBER)-in situ hybridization. EBER expression was positive in 8 (21 %) cases (6 HL, 2 T-cell NHL). The distribution of lymphoma subtypes in Lebanon appears similar to that of Western countries. The high rate of EBV positivity in HL and T-cell lymphoma by EBER deserves further investigation.     

Diverging trends in incidence and mortality,and improved survival of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,in the Netherlands, 1989–2007

BackgroundWe studied progress in the fight against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the Netherlands by describing the changes in incidence, treatment, relative survival, and mortality during 1989–2007.Patients and methodsWe included all adult patients with NHL [i.e. all mature B-, T-, and natural killer (NK) cell neoplasms, with the exception of plasma cell neoplasms], newly diagnosed in the period 1989–2007 and recorded in the Netherlands Cancer Registry (n = 55 069). Regular mortality data were derived from Statistics Netherlands. Follow-up was completed up to 1 January 2009. Annual percentages of change in incidence, mortality, and relative survival were calculated.ResultsThe incidence of indolent B-cell and T- and NK-cell neoplasms rose significantly (estimated annual percentage change = 1.2% and 1.3%, respectively); incidence of aggressive B-cell neoplasms remained stable. Mortality due to NHL remained stable between 1989 and 2003, and has decreased since 2003. Five-year relative survival rates rose from 67% to 75%, and from 43% to 52%, respectively, for indolent and aggressive mature B-cell neoplasms, but 5-year survival remained stable at 48% for T- and NK-cell neoplasms.ConclusionsIn the Netherlands, incidence of indolent mature B-cell and mature T- and NK-cell neoplasms has increased since 1989 but remained stable for aggressive neoplasms. Survival increased for all mature B-cell neoplasms, preceding a declining mortality and increased prevalence of NHL (17 597 on 1 January 2008).