Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and one of the subtypes of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). ALCL makes up about 2% of lymphomas and approximately 24% of all PTCL in the US.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of ALCL requires taking a biopsy (sample of the tumor tissue) and looking at the cells under a microscope. Additional tests may be conducted to give physicians more information about the disease and how far it has spread in the body. These can include:

• Blood tests
• Computed tomography (CT) scan (a procedure that uses x-rays to make detailed pictures of the inside of the body)
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan (a procedure that uses a special dye to locate the cancer in the body)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (a procedure that uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to take detailed pictures of the inside of the body)
• Bone marrow biopsy (a procedure that uses a needle to take samples of the spongy tissue inside the bones).

Forms of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

One characteristic that distinguishes ALCL is that the cancer cells have a marker on their surface called CD30. The disease can present in different forms, which are treated differently:

• Primary cutaneous ALCL: disease is limited to the skin.
• Systemic ALCL: disease that can affect lymph nodes and other organs, including the skin.
• Breast implant-associated (BIA) ALCL: disease is present around breast implants.

Patients with systemic ALCL are divided into two groups, depending on whether their cells produce an abnormal form of a protein called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK):

• ALK-positive ALCL (cancer cells produce ALK) is more common in children and young adults.
• ALK-negative ALCL (cancer cells do not produce ALK) is more common in older adults (over 54 years old).