Burkitt’s lymphoma is an extremely rare type of cancer. Less than 1,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States of America.
However, in some other parts of the world where it is endemic, such as certain parts of central Africa, Burkitt’s lymphoma is very common in children.
Burkitt lymphoma is a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cancer that affects B lymphocytes. There are 3 different varieties of this disease:
-Related to immunodeficiency: this form of the condition occurs more frequently in patients with HIV and in equally immunosuppressed people, such as recent transplant recipients. The condition may indicate the onset of AIDS.
-Sporadic: this variant of the disease is found outside the African continent. It is similar to endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma and is associated with a compromised immune system.
-Endemic: this form of the disease is the so-called “African” form and is responsible for the majority of malignant cases in children in central Africa. This form of the disease can affect several areas, but most commonly affects the jaw, ovaries, breasts, kidneys, and facial bone. The Epstein-Barr virus, which is the virus responsible for mononucleosis, is closely associated with Burkitt’s.
Symptoms of Burkitt’s lymphoma may include painless, swollen lymph nodes (this is characteristic of lymphomas in general), hardening and / or rapid growth of lymph nodes. Pain in the abdomen is another possible sign.
This disease can be diagnosed in a variety of ways, such as:
-Chest X-ray
-Blood count
-Cerebrospinal fluid analysis
-Lymph node and / or bone marrow biopsy
-Computed tomography and / or PET
Treatment of this disease usually involves intensive chemotherapy. The earlier chemotherapy is started, the better the outlook, as it is a particularly aggressive form of cancer. However, some rapidly growing cancers, such as Burkitt’s, respond more quickly to treatment. This can actually harm the patient through a process called tumor lysis syndrome, in which the body is subjected to the by-products of the breakdown of cancer cells that can cause a number of serious complications, such as the severe alteration of electrolytes and kidney failure.
Combination chemotherapy can be supplemented with radiation therapy, dietary interventions, nootropics, supplements, exposure to natural sunlight (for vitamin D). Surgery is often indicated for the removal of tumors and a bone marrow transplant may be necessary if the bone marrow is affected.
The prognosis for Burkitt lymphoma depends on the risk factor of the patient. Combination chemotherapy detected early (low risk or low / intermediate risk) that has produced survival rates in the 90% range. These figures decrease significantly for the highest risk cases; ~ 70% for high / intermediate risk and ~ 30% for high risk. The 5-year overall survival rate for adults with Burkitt lymphoma is about 50 percent.
