About Lymphoma > Types of Lymphoma > NK Cell Lymphoma

Last update: 11/07/2009

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Overview of NK cell Lymphoma

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  Extranodal notations  

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A wide range in incidence exists between different populations, but it is likely to be lower than previously estimated. Certain entities, like nasal/nasal-type T/NK-cell lymphoma and human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus 1, are much more prevalent in certain racial groups and show exquisite viral association." [1]

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type is an aggressive lymphoma that is very rare but more common in Asian and Hispanic communities. It can involve the nasal area, the trachea, the gastrointestinal tract, or skin. It may not respond well to standard chemotherapy, "but may be treated with radiation therapy followed by chemotherapy. Bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation for this type of lymphoma is being studied in clinical trials." [7]

See WHO Classification

"Normal Natural Killer cells are a certain type of white blood cell that attacks tumour cells and infected body cells by binding to a tumour cell and releasing lethal chemicals. Natural killer cells are thought to play a key role in cancer prevention by killing abnormal cells before they multiply and grow." - cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk

"Because NK-cell lymphomas express some T-cell markers, they may be mistakenly diagnosed as peripheral T-cell lymphomas if they are not investigated for the NK-cell-specific marker, CD56. Therefore the importance of immunophenotypic investigations of CD56 should be stressed. Also, the importance of clinical investigation of nasal/nasopharyngeal lymphomas should be stressed when NK-cell lymphoma is diagnosed involving the skin, because NK-cell lymphomas are often associated with the nasal and nasopharyngeal region." [6]

Also see  Peripheral T- cell lymphoma 

Clinical Trials

• NK Cell studies in ClinicalTrials.gov

Resources

• T Cell and NK Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorders 
  John P. Greer, Marsha C. Kinney and Thomas P. Loughran, Jr.  ASH Edu book 2001

• Recent ASCO reports (2001 - 2002)

  High Dose Chemotherapy (HDC) and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) in Peripheral T Cell (PTCL), NK Cell and Ki-1 Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). 2001- 1174 

Related Abstracts

1. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma [NK-type]
   Curr Oncol Rep. 2002 Sep;4(5):434-42. Review. PMID: 12162919  PubMed

2. Characterization of novel natural killer (NK)-cell and T-cell lines established from primary lesions of nasal T/NK-cell lymphomas associated with the Epstein-Barr virus  Blood

3. Efficacy of ifosfamide, methotrexate, etoposide and prednisone (IMEP) chemotherapy in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type.  ASCO 2004

4. Dose-intensive CHOP chemotherapy followed by radiation for localized NK/T-cell lymphoma.  ASCO 2004

5. Nasal and nasal-type T/NK-cell lymphoma with cutaneous involvement. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999 May;40(5 Pt 2):850-6. PMID: 10321634  | Related articles

6. Nasal-type NK/T cell lymphoma of the orbit with distant metastases.
   Hum Pathol. 2003 Mar;34(3):290-2. PMID: 12673566 | Related articles

7. Article - Subtypes of Lymphoma  ASCO.org

8. Long-term remission of blastic natural killer-cell lymphoma after autologous peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation. Am J Hematol. 2005 Oct;80(2):124-7. PMID: 16184583 | Related articles

9. Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. Cancer. 2005 Dec 20;
    
   In the management of nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma, the RT field affected treatment outcomes. RT doses >/= 50 Gy resulted in favorable local control.  PMID: 16369986 | Related articles

10. Case report: Regression of the tumor after withdrawal of cyclosporine in relapsed extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation  interscience.wiley.com  
    
    A 43-year-old female underwent allogeneic HSCT for advanced-stage, chemorefractory ENKL, and achieved complete response. In 4 months after the transplantation, however, the ENKL relapsed in multiple sites. These lesions markedly responded to the discontinuation of immunosuppressive agents and disappeared. Except for a temporal exacerbation of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, she has been free from disease for more than a year without other treatments against lymphoma. The clinical course of the current patient suggests the potent GVL effect against ENKL.

11. Radiotherapy showed favorable outcome in treating early stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma in children and adolescents.  

12. NEW Concurrent Radiation and Weekly Cisplatin Followed by VIPD in Newly Diagnosed, Stage IE to IIE, Nasal, Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma, J Clin Oncol. 2009. (n=32, newly diagnosed pt) PubMed - Related Articles