BURKITTS LYMPHOMA

Reported by:
Aiko F. Villacortes

Burkitt Lymphoma, touch prep,

Wright stain

BURKITTS LYMPHOMA
Burkitts Lymphoma or Burkitts tumor,

malignant lymphoma, Burkitts type

Is a cancer of the lymphatic system,
particular in B-Lymphocytes.
Named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, a british
surgeon who first described the disease in
1956 while working in equatorial Aftrica.
An aggressive B-cell form of NHL that
occurs most often in children and young
adults
Is a very fast growing form of nonHodgkins lymphoma

BURKITTS LYMPHOMA
First discovered in children in certain parts of

Africa
Most often seen in males
May affect the jaw, CNS, bone marrow, bowel,
kidneys, ovaries and other organs.
Burkitts lymphoma is potentially curable
3 MAIN TYPES OF BURKITTS LYMPHOMA
Sporadic (non-African) is another form of non-Hodgkin

Lymphoma found outside of Africa

Endemic (African) is found mostly in africa and is often
associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
Immuno-defiency-related disease is diagnosed most often
in people infected wih HIV/AIDS.

S/Sx of Burkitts Lymphoma

Maybe first noticed as a swelling of the lymph nodes

in the neck, groin and under the arm.

Often painless
Grows rapidly
In the types commonly seen in the U.S., the cancer
usually starts in the belly area (abdomen)
Can also start in the ovaries, testes, brain and spinal
fluid.
Sx includes:
Fever
Night sweats
Unexplained swollen lymph nodes
Unexplained weight loss

Diagnosis of Burkitts
Lymphoma
Burkitts lymphoma spreads so quickly, prompt
diagnosis is essential.
Biopsy a sample tissue is examined under a
microscope. This will confirm or rule out Burkitts
Lymphoma
Computed Tomographic (CT scan) imaging of the
chest, abdomen and pelvis
PET or gallium scan
Bone marrow biopsy
Exam of spinal fluid
Blood tests to measure kidney and liver function
Testing for HIV disease

Cont
Chest x-ray
Complete blood count (CBC)
Lymph node biopsy

Treatment
Chemotherapy is used to treat this type of

cancer.
Commonly used medicines includes:
Prednisone
Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
Ifosfamide
Vincristine (Oncovin)
Cytarabine (Cytosar-U, Tarabine PFS)
Doxorubucin (Adriamycin)
Methotrexate (Rheumatrex)
Etoposide (Etopophos, Toposar, VePesid)

Prognosis
Burkitts lymphoma is fatal if left untreated
Prompt intensive chemotherapy usually

cures Burkitts lymphoma leading to longterm survival rates of 60% to 90%

The cure rate may be lower if the cancer
spreads to the bone marrow or spinal fluid
In adults pts, results are more variable
Overall, prompt treatment is associated
with long-term survival rates of 70% to 80%

A nurse will always give us hope, an

angel with a stethoscope.
-Terri Guillemets