title: Successive B-cell lymphomas mostly reflect recurrences rather than unrelated primary lymphomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To address whether successive B-cell lymphomas, diagnosed within a 5- to 15-year interval, are recurrences or unrelated primary lymphomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunoglobulin heavy and κ light chain gene rearrangements were studied using multiplex polymerase chain reaction fragment assays and sequence analysis in 61 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clonal patterns of the multiple lymphomas from 36 patients were determined and classified accordingly: 30 recurrences, 2 possible recurrences, 2 different clones with a common origin, and 2 unrelated primary lymphomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regardless of subtype, 89% to 94% of late B-cell lymphoma relapses were recurrences of the primary tumor. Therefore, routinely investigating the possible clonal relationship between successive lymphomas may not be warranted except for specific lymphoma subtypes such as diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pathology, Josephine Nefkens Institute, Erasmus Medical Center, University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. w.geurts-giele@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Willemina R R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Geurts-Giele
authors.forename: Ingrid L M
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Wolvers-Tettero
authors.forename: Winand N M
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Dinjens
authors.forename: King H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Anton W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Langerak
mesh_terms: D002999:Clone Cells; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D015994:Incidence; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009426:Netherlands; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains
keywords: B-cell lymphoma; Clonality; Immunoglobulin; Relapse