Lymphoblastic lymphoma

Last medical review:

Lymphoblastic lymphoma is an aggressive (fast-growing) type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Most lymphoblastic lymphomas start from T cells, but some start from B cells.

Lymphoblastic lymphoma is very similar to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and they are treated the same way.

Lymphoblastic lymphoma and ALL differ in where the cancer cells are found. In lymphoblastic lymphoma, the cancer cells are mainly found in the lymph nodes. In ALL, the cancer cells are mainly found in the bone marrow and sometimes in the lymph nodes as well.

Treatments

Your healthcare team will create a treatment plan just for you. The plan is based on your health and specific information about the cancer. What you want is also important when planning treatment. When deciding which treatments to offer for lymphoblastic lymphoma, your healthcare team will consider:

  • your age
  • chromosome or gene changes (also called abnormalities)
  • subtype (or classification) of lymphoblastic lymphoma
  • your overall health
  • risk group
  • possible side effects of treatment
  • hormone status
  • your initial white blood cell count
  • how the cancer responds to treatment
  • if the cancer has come back (relapsed) or spread to the brain and spinal cord (called the central nervous system, or CNS)

To learn more about how lymphoblastic lymphoma may be treated, go to treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Expert review and references

  • Kareem Jamani, MD, LMCC, FRCPC
  • PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment (PDQ®) – Patient Version. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2021: https://www.cancer.gov/.
  • PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®) – Health Professional Version. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2022: https://www.cancer.gov/.
  • Alberta Health Services. Lymphoma. Edmonton, AB: 2021: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/.
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) . Cancer.net: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma . 2021 .

Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

We do our best to make sure that the information we provide is accurate and reliable but cannot guarantee that it is error-free or complete.

The Canadian Cancer Society is not responsible for the quality of the information or services provided by other organizations and mentioned on cancer.ca, nor do we endorse any service, product, treatment or therapy.


1-888-939-3333 | cancer.ca | © 2024 Canadian Cancer Society