T-cell lymphoma
T-cell lymphoma is a rare form of cancerous lymphoma affecting T-cells. Lymphoma arises mainly from the uncontrolled proliferation of T-cells and can become cancerous.
| T-cell lymphoma | |
|---|---|
| Micrograph of an enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (upper right of image), a type of T-cell lymphoma. H&E stain. | |
| Specialty | Hematology and oncology |
| Symptoms | swollen lymph nodes, fevers, enlarged liver or spleen, liver dysfunction, rash |
| Risk factors | Autoimmune disorders, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), Human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV1), Organ transplants, immunosuppressant therapy |
| Treatment | chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell transplant |
T-cell lymphoma is categorized under Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and represents less than 15% of all Non-Hodgkin's diseases in the category. T-cell lymphomas are often categorised based on their growth patterns as either; aggressive (fast-growing) or indolent (slow-growing). Although the cause of T-cell lymphoma is not definitive, it has been associated with various risk factors and viruses such as Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and Human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV1).
The prognosis and treatment of T-cell lymphoma can vary drastically based on the specific type of lymphoma and its growth patterns. Due to their rarity and high variability between the different subtypes, the prognosis of T-cell lymphoma is significantly worse than other Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The treatment of T-cell lymphoma is often similar to other Non-Hodgkin lymphomas with early-stage treatments consisting of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The effectiveness of these treatments is often varied between subtypes with most receiving a poor outcome with high relapse rates.