Burkitt's Lymphoma / Leukemia

Malignant B-cell lymphocytes seen in Burkitt's lymphoma
image by Louis Staudt, NCI

Burkitt's lymphoma is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma that is common in children. In fact, it accounts for 30-40% of childhood lymphomas each year. Its cause is linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is also known as mononucleosis, though not all patients diagnosed with Burkitt's have EBV.

The disease usually affects the bowel, eyes, kidneys, ovaries, breasts, thyroid, jawbone, nervous system, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and/or tonsils.

Diagnosis and Staging

The most common symptom of Burkitt's is abdominal swelling caused by inflammation of the intestines. Loss of appetite, night sweats, weight loss, and fever are other common symptoms.

Diagnosis is made via biopsy of affected tissue. Follow-up tests, such as chest X-rays, PET scan, CT scan, ultrasound, and bone marrow biopsy are used for staging. The staging is as follows:

Stage I

One area of extranodal (outside of the lymph nodes) tissue is affected, or one group of lymph nodes outside of the chest cavity is affected.

Stage II

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There is an extranodal tumor with nearby lymph involvement or there are two extranodal tumors on the same side of the diaphragm. Alternatively, if the cancer began in the stomach or intestines, it is stage II.

Stage III

If the extranodal tumors are on both sides of the diaphragm, the disease is stage III. Or, if the disease is in the chest, lungs, thymus, or around spinal cord, it is stage III.

Stage IV

If the disease has spread into the spinal cord or bone marrow, it is stage IV.

Treatment

There are various forms of treatment for Burkitt's. They include:

Chemotherapy

Cytoxan, adriamycin, oncovin, cytarabine, methotretane, etoposide, and ifosfamide are typically used. Occassionally, chemo is injected straight into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord. This process is called intrathecal chemotherapy.

Stem cell/bone marrow transplant

If the chemo wipes out the patient's immune system, transplant is necessary to restore the body to health.

Immunotherapy

Using monoclonal antibodies, such as Rituxan, in combination with chemotherapy shows promise in the treatment of this disease.

Radioimmunotherapy

The use of radiolabeled isotopes is being studied as a treatment for Burkitt's

Clinical Trials

Cancer Patients have more options through clinical studies. Follow this link to learn more and find a clinical study opportunity near you.

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Dive Deeper

• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Aggressive Lymphomas
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas: B-Cell Lymphomas
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Diagnosis
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Treatment

Childhood Lymphoma Information Pages :

• Childhood Lymphoma
• Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Information
• Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Diagnosis
• Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Treatment
• Childhood Lymphoma: Resources