Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer of the lymphatic system which is a part of the body’s immune system and it occurs when tumors develop from white blood cells (lymphocytes). Many types of cancers can spread to the lymph nodes, but only cancers that start in the lymph tissue are considered lymphomas. There are many types of NHL, Mantle Cell Lymphoma being one of them, classified by how the cells look under a microscope. Most types of NHL are categorized as either B-cell lymphoma or T-cell lymphoma.
One of the most aggressive types of lymphoma is Mantle cell lymphoma with relatively short responses to therapy and is a B-cell lymphoma that develops from malignant B-lymphocytes within a region of the lymph node known as the mantle zone. It takes over body’s B Cells, which normally make antibodies to fight infections and the cancerous B cells grow out of control and make lymph nodes larger. The cancer can spread to patient’s bone marrow, liver, and gastrointestinal tract as well.
The exact underlying cause of mantle cell lymphoma is unknown. However, approximately 85% of people with the condition have a genetic change, or mutation, in chromosomes 11 and 14. Short segments of these chromosomes may exchange places. . The exchange occurs at the site of the cyclin D1 gene on chromosome 11 and the site of a gene that controls the formation of antibody molecules on chromosome 14.
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