T-Cell Lymphomas

In T-cell lymphomas, T-cells, which are an essential part of the body's immune response, become malignant. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. It is made up of tiny tubes that branch, like blood vessels, into all parts of the body, including the skin.

These vessels, called lymph vessels, carry lymph (a milky body fluid that contains lymphocytes, proteins and fats) into and out of the lymph nodes (lymph glands) which are located in the underarm, pelvis, neck and abdomen.

T-cell lymphomas can be classified into various subtypes depending upon the shape size and other cellular characteristics of the tumors. Classification of these tumors is also complicated with most tumors being different from the others. In general, T-cell lymphomas can be divided into several categories:

· Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma: Peripheral T-cell lymphoma accounts for about one in 100 of all cases of NHL. It can occur at any age from young adulthood to old age. It is slightly more common in men than in women. It is a type of T-cell lymphoma, and the abnormal T-lymphocytes are found in the peripheral circulating blood. Peripheral T-cell lymphomas can also be subdivided into different types.

· Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), also known as mycosis fungoides, is a rare type of lymphocytic cancer in which certain cells of the lymphatic system, called T-lymphocytes or T-cells, become cancerous (malignant) and affect the skin.

· Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma: Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma: A form of cancer which tends to be systemic in nature and thus cancer cells can be found in various parts of the body such as the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, skin and bone marrow.

Symptoms

· Itchy skin rash

· Asymptomatic in early stages

· Edema

· Ascites

· Pelural effusion

· Arthritis

· Polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia

· Hemolytic anemia

Causes

The exact cause of most T-cell lymphomas is unknown. However, it is likely that genetic changes that take place during antigen processing and presentation are likely to result in an aggressively dividing cell population, some of which may give rise to T-cell lymphoma. A definitive infective agent, a virus named as HTLV-1 has been shown to cause Adult T-cell leukemia / lymphoma.

Diagnosis

Lymphomas can arise from the lymph nodes situated all over the body and are also named according to the tissue of origin. Therefore an evaluation of cell types present in biopsy tissue samples is the only definitive tool to identify T-cell lymphomas.

Treatments

Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a type of local therapy. It affects cells only in the treated area. Radiation therapy is used alone for small tumors or for patients who cannot have surgery. It may be used before surgery to kill cancer cells and shrink the tumor. It also may be used after surgery to destroy cancer cells that may remain in the area.

Computed tomography (CT) is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing. Digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the inside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation.

Stem cell transplantation: A method of replacing immature blood-forming cells that were destroyed by cancer treatment. The stem cells are given to the person after treatment to help the bone marrow recover and continue producing healthy blood cells.

Biological therapies