Undifferentiated non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (Burkitt's and non-Burkitt's types). The relevance of making this histologic distinction.
A retrospective study of 66 cases of undifferentiated non-Hodgkin's lymphomas at the National Cancer Institute over a 22-year period suggests that the histologic distinction between Burkitt's and non-Burkitt's types is clinicopathologically meaningful. Thirty-nine patients with Burkitt's lymphoma had a median age at presentation of ten years. The primary site of disease in these patients was more commonly extranodal; at the time of diagnosis 26 (66%) of these cases revealed intra-abdominal involvement; 25 (64%) of the cases were Stage IV. The 27 patients with non-Burkitt's lymphomas had a median age at presentation of 34 years; the primary site of disease was more commonly nodal (peripheral adenopathy was often present at the time of diagnosis); only nine (33%) of the cases were Stage IV. Median survival was essentially equivalent in the two groups, 9.5 months for Burkitt's lymphoma and 10.0 months for the non-Burkitt's lymphoma. Overall, survival was not significantly different among the two patient populations; however, patients with Burkitt's lymphoma had a longer survival than those with non-Burkitt's lymphoma. Estimates of five-year survival (with 95% confidence) are 42% for Burkitt's lymphoma and 11% for non-Burkitt's lymphoma, respectively, which are significantly different (P = 0.01).
D000005:Abdomen; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors