Thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma involving lymph nodes.

Dec 2012

Ota H, Kawai H, Tsubasa M.

Source

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Akita Red Cross Hospital, Akita 010-1495, Japan. Electronic address: hidekiohta29@hotmail.com.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma involving lymph nodes is quite rare with only 13 previous cases reported in the literature.

PRESENTATION OF CASE:

The 33-years-old female was referred to our department for the investigation of abnormalities on computed tomographic (CT) scans. CT scans showed a 9-cm×3-cm mass composed of a mixture of soft tissue and fat at the anterior mediastinum with lymphadenopathy in the neck, axillary and mediastinal regions. She was underwent complete surgical resection of the mass with regional lymph node dissection through a median sternotomy. Histological examination of the surgical specimens confirmed the diagnosis of MALT lymphoma arising in the thymus with nodal metastasis. She achieved complete remission after postoperative rituximab combined chemotherapy.

DISCUSSION:

Thymic MALT lymphoma occurs most frequently in Asian female aged 40-60 years and commonly appears anterior mediastinal masses on CT scans. The excised tissue is necessary to confirm the accurate histological diagnosis. The disease usually remains localized for a long time, making local surgical resection highly effective. However, when the lymph nodes are involved, effective treatment approaches of the disease is still undefined.

CONCLUSION:

We report a case of thymic MALT lymphoma involving lymph nodes, in which the patient was successfully treated with primary site resection with regional lymph node dissection followed by rituximab combined chemotherapy. Surgery provided not only a useful approach for collecting tissue for an accurate histological diagnosis, but also an effective local treatment, even in the case of advanced-stage thymic MALT lymphoma.

Elsevier

Comparative outcomes of oncologic therapy in gastric extranodal marginal zone (MALT) lymphoma: analysis of the SEER-Medicare database.

Jan 2013

Olszewski AJ, Castillo JJ.

Source

The Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket.

Abstract

Background

Therapy for gastric marginal zone (MALT) lymphoma is largely based on single-arm trials. This observational study compared survival with radiotherapy, rituximab and combination chemoimmunotherapy in this disease.

Patients and methods

Gastric MALT lymphoma cases diagnosed between 1997 and 2007 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database. Propensity score analysis and competing risk models were used to compare survival in patients with stage IE treated with radiation or chemotherapy, and in patients of all stages treated with rituximab alone or with chemoimmunotherapy.

Results

Among 1134 patients, 21% underwent radiation and 24% chemotherapy as initial treatment. In the balanced cohort of 347 patients with stage IE, radiotherapy alone was associated with a better cause-specific survival [hazard ratio (HR) 0.27, P < 0.001]. Patients receiving systemic therapy had better survival if it incorporated rituximab (HR 0.53, P = 0.017). After adjustment for confounding, the outcomes of those who received rituximab alone or combination chemoimmunotherapy were not statistically different (P = 0.14).

ConclusionsIn 

elderly patients with stage IE gastric MALT lymphoma, radiotherapy was associated with lower risk of lymphoma-related death than chemotherapy. In those requiring systemic treatment, addition of cytotoxic chemotherapy to rituximab in the first-line regimen was not associated with improved survival.

Annals of Oncology

Thymic Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma of Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue: A Gene Methylation Study.

Thymic Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma of Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue: A Gene Methylation Study.

Jan 2013

Takino H, Li C, Yamada S, Sato F, Masaki A, Fujiyoshi Y, Hattori H, Inagaki H.

Abstract

Although rare, thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is considered to be a distinct clinicopathological entity. Using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, we analyzed thymic MALT lymphomas (n=18) for their methylation of the following seven tumor suppressor genes: DAPK1, p16(INK4A), p14(ARF), CDH1, RARB, TIMP3, and MGMT. Reactive lymph nodes (n=16) were used as a control. Of the seven genes examined, thymic MALTlymphomas had an increased number of genes that were methylated (2.9 genes) as compared with reactive lymph nodes (0.63, p=0.0003). In particular, thymic MALT lymphomas showed a frequent methylation of DAPK1, CDH1, TIMP3, and p14(ARF). In addition, gene methylation of the p14(ARF) was associated with a larger tumor size while that of the other three genes was not associated with any clinicopathological features examined. This study suggests that methylation of tumor suppressor genes may play an important role in thymic MALT lymphoma.

Informa

Addition of Rituximab to Chlorambucil Produces Superior Event-Free Survival in the Treatment of Patients With Extranodal Marginal-Zone B-Cell Lymphoma: 5-Year Analysis of the IELSG-19 Randomized Study.

Jan 2013

Zucca E, Conconi A, Laszlo D, López-Guillermo A, Bouabdallah R, Coiffier B, Sebban C, Jardin F, Vitolo U,Morschhauser F, Pileri SA, Copie-Bergman C, Campo E, Jack A, Floriani I, Johnson P, Martelli M, Cavalli F, Martinelli G,Thieblemont C.

Source

Emanuele Zucca and Franco Cavalli, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland; Annarita Conconi, Amedeo Avogadro University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara; Daniele Laszlo and Giovanni Martinelli, European Institute of Oncology; Irene Floriani, Pharmacological Research Institute, Milan; Umberto Vitolo, S. Giovanni Battista Hospital, Torino; Stefano A. Pileri, University of Bologna, Bologna; Maurizio Martelli, University "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy; Armando López-Guillermo and Elias Campo, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Reda Bouabdallah, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille; Bertrand Coiffier, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Pierre-Benite; Catherine Sebban, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon; Fabrice Jardin, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen; Franck Morschhauser, Hôpital Claude Huriez, Lille; Christiane Copie-Bergman, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris Groupe Henri Mondor-Albert Chenevier, L'Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U955, Créteil; Catherine Thieblemont INSERM Institut Universitaire d'Hématologie U728, Hopital Saint Louis, Paris, France; Andrew Jack, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; and Peter Johnson, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom.

Abstract

PURPOSE

Apart from localized gastric disease, there is no consensus on standard initial treatment of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. The IELSG-19 study (Randomized Trial of Chlorambucil Versus Chlorambucil Plus Rituximab Versus Rituximab in MALT Lymphoma) was launched to compare chlorambucil alone versus chlorambucil plus rituximab in patients not previously given systemic anticancer therapy. 

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients not responding to or not suitable for local therapy were eligible. In arm A, chlorambucil was given daily 6 mg/m(2) orally (PO) for 6 weeks. Responding patients and those with stable disease continued to be given daily chlorambucil 6 mg/m(2) PO for 14 consecutive days every 28 days for four cycles. In arm B, intravenous rituximab 375 mg/m(2) per day was added on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 56, 84, 112, and 140. After completion of the planned accrual, the protocol was amended to introduce a third arm with rituximab alone. We report the planned final analysis of the first two arms (113 patients in arm A and 114 in arm B).

RESULTS

At a median follow-up of 62 months, the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) was significantly better for the patients treated in arm B (68% v 50%; P = .002) who, despite similar overall response rates (90% v 87%), achieved a higher complete remission rate (78% v 65%; P = .025). Progression-free survival was also improved but it did not reach statistical significance (P = .057). Five-year overall survival (OS) was 89% in both arms. Both treatments were well tolerated without unexpected toxicities. 

CONCLUSION

Both treatments were active; the better response rate and EFS obtained with the addition of rituximab did not translate into improved OS.

Full text:

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Study of regulatory T-cells in patients with gastric malt lymphoma: influence on treatment response and outcome.

2012

García M, Bellosillo B, Sánchez-González B, García-Payarols F, Seoane A, Ferrer AM, Gimeno E, Barranco LE, Torner A,Solé F, Besses C, Serrano S, Salar A.

Source

Departments of Pathology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain ; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) play an essential role in modulating host responses to tumors and infections. The role of these cells in the pathogenesis of MALT lymphomas remains unknown. The aims of the study were to quantify the number of infiltrating FOXP3+ and CD3+ cells in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma at diagnosis and to study kinetics of these cells and CD20+ tumor cells after treatment and during long-term follow-up.

METHODS:

FOXP3+, CD3+ and CD20+ cells were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and the number of cells was quantified using a micrometric ocular. Samples of 35 patients with gastric MALT lymphoma at diagnosis and after treatment were included. Diagnostic samples were compared to 19 cases of chronic gastritis and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL) of the stomach.

RESULTS:

The median number of FOXP3+ infiltrating cells was higher (27 cells/cm(2)) in gastric MALT patients than in DLBCL (10 cells; p = 0.162) but similar to chronic gastritis (20 cells; p = 0.605). No characteristic or specific distribution pattern of infiltrating FOXP3+ cells was found. Gastric MALT lymphoma patients responding to bacterial eradication therapy had higher number of FOXP3+ cells at study entry. Kinetics of both infiltrating FOXP3+ cells and tumor CD20+ cells were strongly dependent on the treatment administered.

DISCUSSION:

Gastric MALT lymphomas have a number of Treg cells more similar to chronic gastritis than to DLBCL. Patients with higher number of tumor infiltrating FOXP3+ cells at study entry seem to have better response to antibiotics. Kinetics of Treg and tumor cells are influenced by type of treatment.

PubMed