What are the causes and symptoms of mantle cell lymphoma?
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is one of the rarer of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs), comprising about 6% of NHL cases. There are only about 15,000 patients presently in the U.S. (The prevalence seems to be somewhat higher in Europe.) While it is difficult to treat and seldom considered cured, investigations into better treatments are actively pursued world-wide. Median survival times were about 3 years, but are now estimated as approaching 6 years for new patients. MCL is a subtype of B-cell lymphoma, due to CD5 positive antigen-naive pregerminal center B-cell within the mantle zone that surrounds normal germinal center follicles. MCL cells generally over-express cyclin D1 due to a t(11:14) chromosomal translocation in the DNA. More specifically, the translocation is at t(11;14)(q13;q32). The cause is unknown and not genetic. MCL is not communicable. It essentially is an abnormal break and subsequent translocation in a gene that causes the cells to divide too early before becoming cap
