The traditional method for diagnosing and classifying lymphoma cell types has been through microscopic examination. Researchers had suspected that there were different subtypes even among lymphomas which appeared similar under the microscope. Now, using newly-developed tools for analyzing the molecular profiles (also called gene-expression profiles) of lymphoma tumor cells, scientists can classify some lymphoma types more closely and accurately. This information will probably be used in the future to help make treatment decisions and to predict treatment outcomes.

          An earlier group of researchers had identified two distinct subtypes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma using similar methods. The recent findings increase the number of subtypes to three.

Sources:
Alizadeh et al. Distinct types of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma identified by gene expression profiling. Nature 403: 503-511 (Feb. 2000).

Rosenwald et al. The use of molecular profling to predict survival after chemotherapy for diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. New England Journal of Medicine 346 (25): 1937-1947 (June 20, 2002).

[3/28/2002]

New England Journal of Medicine abstract

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