title: Anaplastic large cell lymphoma in children and adolescents.
abstract: Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is the most common mature T-cell neoplasm in children and adolescents. ALCLs comprise approximately 15% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) in children and adolescents and commonly present with advanced systemic disease. Dissimilar from ALCL in adults, ALCL in children is nearly universally anaplastic large cell lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive. Despite the relative rarity of the disease, a great deal of insight into the pathogenesis of ALCL has been learned by researching the essential oncogenic role of ALK. Many different treatment strategies have been utilized with similar event free survival (EFS) rates of 65-75%. This review will provide an overview of the pathology, clinical features, prognostics factors, and treatment for children and adolescents with ALK positive ALCL.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters, Norfolk, Virginia 25507, USA. Eric.Lowe@chkd.org
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases