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Dennis Burkitt's first description of the African tumor that is now known by his name appeared in 1958. In the brief intervening span of 32 years, this lymphoma has provided an extraordinarily valuable paradigm that has afforded insights into topics that encompass the entire discipline of oncology. … African Burkitt's lymphoma.
What is the history of Burkitt's lymphoma?
Diagnosis of Burkitt Lymphoma. Because Burkitt lymphoma spreads so quickly, prompt diagnosis is essential. If Burkitt lymphoma is suspected, all or part of an enlarged lymph node or other suspicious disease site will be biopsied. In a biopsy, a sample of tissue is examined under a microscope.
How is Burkitt lymphoma diagnosed?
Examples of drugs that may be used in various combinations for Burkitt lymphoma include: 1 cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). 2 cytarabine (Cytosar-U, Tarabine PFS). 3 doxorubicin (Adriamycin). 4 etoposide (Etopophos, Toposar, VePesid). 5 methotrexate (Rheumatrex). 6 ... (more items)
What drugs are used to treat Burkitt lymphoma?
It is named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, the Irish surgeon who first described the disease in 1958 while working in equatorial Africa. The overall cure rate for Burkitt lymphoma in developed countries is about 90%, but worse in low-income countries.
What is the cure rate for Burkitt lymphoma?
When was Burkitt lymphoma discovered?
Burkitt Lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that was first described by Dennis Burkitt in 1958 in Ugandan children. Since then, numerous breakthroughs, including the discovery of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and its links to the disease, have been made.
Are there any treatments or cures for Burkitt's lymphoma?
Burkitt lymphoma is usually treated with a number of different chemotherapy drugs and a targeted immunotherapy drug called rituximab (Mabthera). You might hear this combination called chemoimmunotherapy. Your treatment can be very intensive lasting several months. You might be in hospital for a lot of this time.
Is Burkitt's lymphoma cured by chemotherapy?
Prognosis for Burkitt Lymphoma In children, prompt intensive chemotherapy usually cures Burkitt lymphoma, leading to long-term survival rates of 60% to 90%. In adult patients, results are more variable. Overall, prompt treatment is associated with long-term survival rates of 70% to 80%.
How long is the treatment for Burkitt's lymphoma?
For newly diagnosed Burkitt lymphoma, treatment is based on the Group of the disease (as described in Diagnosis, above). Group A can be treated with a short course of chemotherapy lasting less than two months. Commonly used drugs are cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, and doxorubicin.
Is Stage 4 Burkitt's lymphoma curable?
Burkitt and Burkitt-like lymphoma Treatment of limited stage (stage I and II) Burkitt lymphomas is usually very successful, with a long-term survival rate of over 90%. The long-term survival rate for children and teens with more advanced (stage III or IV) Burkitt lymphoma ranges from about 80% to 90%.
Can Burkitt's lymphoma be prevented?
Prevention. There is no known prevention for Burkitt's lymphoma. Using protection (condoms) during sex and avoiding intravenous drug use can effectively prevent HIV infection, which is associated with immunodeficiency-related Burkitt's lymphoma.
What is best treatment for Burkitt's lymphoma?
Intensive systemic chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for this aggressive disease in all its stages. All clinical variants of Burkitt lymphoma are treated generally the same. The overall survival rate associated with Burkitt lymphoma depends upon the stage of the disease at initial diagnosis.
Is Burkitt lymphoma rare?
Burkitt lymphoma is a rare but highly aggressive (fast-growing) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This disease may affect the jaw, central nervous system, bowel, kidneys, ovaries, or other organs. Burkitt lymphoma may spread to the central nervous system (CNS).
How fast does Burkitt lymphoma spread?
The symptoms of endemic Burkitt's lymphoma include swelling and distortion of facial bones and a rapid growth of lymph nodes. The enlarged lymph nodes are non-tender. Tumors can grow extremely quickly, sometimes doubling their size within 18 hours.
How long can you live with Burkitt lymphoma?
For adults with low-risk disease, the five-year survival rate is about 71%, while high-risk aggressive lymphomas have about a 29% five-year survival rate.
Is Burkitt lymphoma treatable in adults?
“We knew Burkitt lymphoma is curable with dose-intensive chemotherapy, but that treatment can be acutely toxic for adult patients,” said Mark Roschewski, M.D., of NCI's Lymphoid Malignancies Branch, who was one of the lead authors on the study.
Why Burkitt lymphoma is caused?
The exact cause of Burkitt lymphoma is unclear, but the risk of developing it is greater in certain people and certain geographical regions. As the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center notes, this cancer has ties to complications from chronic malaria and infection with the Epstein-Barr virus.