Diagnosis and Treatment of Burkitt’s Lymphoma

Diagnosis and Treatment of Burkitt’s Lymphoma

Diagnosis of Burkitt’s lymphoma may be carried out through a battery of tests such as chest x-ray, complete blood count (CBC), CT scan of the chest region, abdomen and pelvis, PET scan, bone marrow biopsy, lymph node biopsy and analysis of spinal fluid.

Chemotherapy is one of the methods used to treat Burkitt’s lymphoma and the medicines used for the treatment include prednisone, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, vincristine, cytarabine, methotrexate, etoposide and doxorubicin.

Despite being aggressive, burkitt’s lymphoma is highly curable. More than 80% of people in whom the disease is localized and more than half of the children in whom the disease has spread are usually cured. The rate of cure lowers if the cancer has spread to other body parts such as spinal fluid and bone marrow. With intense form of chemotherapy, using strong drugs in high doses, and with adequate support during the intensive treatment the disease can be well managed. However, the prognosis is considered poor if the cancer recurs after a remission.