Non-hodgkin indolent B-Cell lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are a diverse group of lymphoproliferative neoplasms arising from lymphocytes that differ in terms of their morphology, natural history, response to therapy, and prognosis. As a group, NHLs are the sixth most common cancer in the USA, with an estimated 65,540 new cases diagnosed in 2010. They are also the sixth most common cause of cancer death in the USA, with an estimated 20,210 deaths in 2010. Approximately 85 % of NHLs are of B-cell origin, and the remaining are T-cell malignancies. On the basis of their clinical features and natural history, NHLs of B-cell origin may be broadly categorized as either indolent or aggressive. Follicular lymphoma, the most common indolent B-cell lymphoma, accounts for 22.1 % of all NHL cases worldwide [1]. Other indolent B-cell lymphomas include small lymphocytic lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (6.7 % of all NHLs); marginal zone lymphomas, consisting of extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (also called mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue [MALT] lymphoma [7.6 % of all NHLs]), nodal marginal zone lymphoma (1.8 % of all NHLs), and splenic marginal zone lymphoma (<1 % of all NHLs); and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (1.2 % of all NHLs) [1]. This chapter focuses primarily on follicular lymphoma; the other indolent B-cell lymphomas will be described briefly.