Molecular Diagnosis of Burkitt's Lymphoma

A method involving patterns of gene expression was used to distinguish all cases of classic Burkitt's lymphoma from various forms of diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma, which had been verified by an expert panel of hematopathologists. Difficulties in the distinction between Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma may be resolved by the use of gene-expression patterns. Difficulties in the distinction between Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma may be resolved by the use of gene-expression patterns. Burkitt's lymphoma is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma characterized by a high degree of proliferation of the malignant cells and deregulation of the c -myc gene. 1 Distinguishing between Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma is critical because the management of these two diseases differs. Whereas relatively low-dose chemotherapy regimens such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) are typically used to treat diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma, they are inadequate for Burkitt's lymphoma, 2 , 3 for which intensive chemotherapy regimens are required. 4 – 8 Furthermore, prophylactic intrathecal chemotherapy or systemic chemotherapy that crosses the blood–brain barrier is unnecessary in most cases of diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma; . . .