Clinical significance of the t(14;18) and BCL2 overexpression in follicular large cell lymphoma.
Follicular large cell lymphoma (FLCL) is an aggressive disease that responds to anthracycline-containing chemotherapy much like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Since the t(14;18) and/or bcl2 protein expression are less common in FLCL than in its low-grade counterparts, we sought to determine whether these features were predictive of survival as in DLBCL. We studied 50 patients with FLCL who were treated with curative intent. The t(14;18) was found by cytogenetic analysis in 56% of the patients and bcl2 protein was expressed by the tumor cells in 73%, but neither was predictive of survival. However, abnormalities of chromosome 17p and the presence of trisomy 21 were adverse predictors of survival, as were a number of clinical features. We conclude that neither the absence of the t(14;18) nor the lack of bcl2 expression explain the good response of a subset of patients with FLCL to curative therapy.
Weisenburger
D D
DD
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198-3135, USA.
Gascoyne
R D
RD
Bierman
P J
PJ
Shenkier
T
T
Horsman
D E
DE
Lynch
J C
JC
Chan
W C
WC
Greiner
T C
TC
Connors
J M
JM
Vose
J M
JM
Armitage
J O
JO
Sanger
W G
WG
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D005260:Female; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005819:Genetic Markers