title: The incidence, natural history, biology, and treatment of transformed lymphomas.
abstract: Treatment of patients with transformed lymphoma presents a significant challenge to the practicing physician. Indeed, the transformation of follicular lymphoma to a more aggressive histology is inherent to the biology of this disease and is often associated with an aggressive clinical course, resulting in a poor prognosis. Recent population-based studies have better defined the incidence of this event, and recent laboratory studies have defined the molecular and immunological processes associated with transformation. These studies will be discussed in this review, as will the treatment options for these patients.
authors.affiliation: James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. steven_bernstein@urmc.rochester.edu
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: W Richard
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Burack
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002450:Cell Communication; D054337:Cell Dedifferentiation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019468:Disease Management; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000473:pathology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D016499:Radioimmunotherapy; D027041:Somatic Hypermutation, Immunoglobulin; D016896:Treatment Outcome