Journal Article

Burkitt's lymphoma

Jackson, Graham, Molyneux, Elizabeth M, Bailey, Simon, Griffin, Beverly, Rochford, Rosemary, Newton, Robert, Israels, Trijn, Menon, Geetha, Harrison, Christine J

2012

Overview

Burkitt's lymphoma is a highly aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and is the fastest growing human tumour. The disease is associated with Epstein-Barr virus and was one of the first tumours shown to have a chromosomal translocation that activates an oncogene (c-MYC). Burkitt's lymphoma is the most common childhood cancer in areas where malaria is holoendemic. The incidence is very high in immunosuppressed patients in non-endemic areas, especially when associated with HIV infection. Outcome with intensive chemotherapy has improved and is now excellent in children, but the prognosis is poor in elderly adults. The success of intensive treatment relies on good supportive care. The therapy offered in oncology units in low-income countries is not as aggressive as in centres in high-income countries and outcomes are less successful. Adjuvant monoclonal antibody therapy with rituximab shows promise for improved outcomes and reduced toxic effects in the future.

• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd,Elsevier,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Adolescent / Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived - administration & dosage / Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use / Apoptosis / B-lymphocytes / Biological and medical sciences / Burkitt Lymphoma - drug therapy / Burkitt Lymphoma - epidemiology / Burkitt Lymphoma - genetics / Burkitt Lymphoma - virology / Cancer / Cancer therapies / Chemotherapy / Child / Child, Preschool / childhood / children / chromosome translocation / Consolidation / Cross-Sectional Studies / Cyclin-dependent kinases / Drug therapy / elderly / Endemic Diseases / Epidemiology / Epstein-Barr virus / Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - drug therapy / Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - epidemiology / Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - genetics / Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - virology / General aspects / Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data / Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases / HIV / HIV infections / HIV Infections - epidemiology / Human gammaherpesvirus 4 / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Incidence / Infant / Infectious diseases / Internal Medicine / Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis / Low income areas / Low income groups / Lymphoma / Malaria / Malaria - epidemiology / Medical sciences / monoclonal antibodies / non-Hodgkin lymphoma / oncogenes / patients / Poverty - statistics & numerical data / Prognosis / Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc - genetics / Risk Factors / Rituximab / toxicity / Transcriptional Activation - genetics / Translocation / Translocation, Genetic - genetics / Tumors / Vector-borne diseases / Viral diseases