Our 2.5 years old boy diagnosis says: The appearances are fully consistent with a diffuse high grade lymphomatus or Lymphoplastic leukaemia of the neck LN. Conclusion: High grade Aggressive tumour? large cells Lymphoma? Lymphoplastic Leukaemia.

The Microscopic examination says: This lymph node is replaced by a high grade diffuse lymphoma composed of closely packed lympocytoid large cells with many mitoses with many necroses extending to the capsule. The tumour is infiltrating fatty tissue ( Rounded Fleshy LN up to 3m)

The conclusion of the report says:
High Grade agressive tumour? Large cells Lymphoma? Lymphoplastic Leukaemia. Immunohistology is necesseray to establish this diagnosis.

We got this report yesterday for our 2.5 years old BOY and is puplic holiday here so no more tests can be done untill next week. We are lost due to ignorance.... Any help? Any ideas or experiences will be greatly appreciated as a first indication of what is going on? Thanks a lot!!

Hi Demetris;
First off, the pathologist is indicating that your child has a form of blood cancer, either a lymphoma or a leukemia. This much I assume you understand.

However it appears as though the pathologist is seeing in your child's lymphocytes a number of different cellular characteristics that indicate to him or her that some form of lymphoma or leukemia is present, but he's unable to make a more precise diagnosis based purely on "histology", meaning based purely on examining them under the microscope. He's proposing immunohistology-- still examining them through the microscope, but now the cells are stained with certain chemicals. The reaction of certain cells to certain chemicals will give the pathologist a set of markers, around which he can make a more accurate diagnosis.

Unfortunately this is quite common in lymphoma, because it's such a difficult disease to diagnose accurately.

Ross

The Doctors said today that he has Burkitts L3, and he is 2.5 years old. Is it curable?

Burkitt's lymphoma is a very, very aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, one of the most aggressive forms. When you say he's L3 I think you mean he's in stage III. The truth is that very aggressive forms of cancer like Burkitt's are ideal candidates for aggressive chemotherapy because aggressive cancer cells divide quickly and often, meaning they can be effectively killed by chemo, so I suspect your child will undergo aggressive chemotherapy, probably involving some combination of cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), vincristin, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and leucovorin.

To address your question, yes- Burkitt's is considered 'curable' but that is moreso true for lower stage disease (I or II) than it is for higher stages (III or IV).

Where is he being treated?

Ross