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Blastic NK-Cell Lymphoma

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Blastic natural killer cell lymphoma (B-NKL) is an extremely rare form of cancer usually occurring in the middle aged or elderly (rarely children). Only a few people are diagnosed with the disease internationally each year. The cause, like in many lymphomas, is unclear but it appears to not be related to the Epstein-Barr virus but may be related to a loss of the RB1 gene or other genetic causes.   
 
The cancer is extremely aggressive and can be resistant to chemotherapy used in other forms of NHL.  The disease can appear in the skin or other areas of the body outside of lymph nodes.  Cases localized to skin appear to have a better prognosis. 
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Treatment:

Since this cancer is so rare, your medical team will most likely search the current medical literature such as PubMed for the latest successful treatment strategies.  Below are two example abstracts on treatments used from the literature:

Further Reading / In-Depth

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas, Peter M. Mauch (Editor), James O. Armitage (Editor), et al., 2004.

  • Section IV: Pathology, Biology, Clinical Evaluation, and Treatment Section
    • Chapter 17: T-Cell Large Granular Lymphocytic Leukemia, T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia, and Agressive Natural Killer-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma

Excellent but Technical: An Illustrated Guide to Skin Lymphomas, Cerroni, Gatter, Kerl, 2nd. Ed, 2005

  • Chapter 16: Blastic NK-cell Lymphoma

Web Resources:

  • Paper on NK Cell Lymphoma by Kazuo Oghimi, International Journal of Hematology, August 2002

Survivor Sites:

References:

Papers:

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Information Pages:

    Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas
    Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Diagnosis
    Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Aggressive Lymphomas
    Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Indolent Lymphomas
    Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Treatment
    Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Resources
    Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplants

Childhood Lymphoma Information Pages:

    Childhood Lymphoma
    Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
    Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Diagnosis
    Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Types and Staging
    Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Treatment
    Childhood Lymphoma: Resources

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This page is a work in progress - if you have more complete information, references, or other information please contact the author.  The author is not in the medical field and does not warrant the correctness of the material on this page or the sites linked - please take online information and consult with your own medical team to make informed decisions.

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Updated October 30, 2005