A translocation is a type of genetic change where a piece of one chromosome breaks off and attaches to a different chromosome. Chromosomes are structures inside your cells that carry DNA, the instructions your body uses to grow, repair itself, and function properly. When pieces of chromosomes switch places, they can create new combinations of …
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Primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma is a type of cancer called a lymphoma that starts in the skin. It develops from B cells, a type of white blood cell that normally helps the immune system fight infection. The word “primary” means the lymphoma begins in the skin rather than spreading there from elsewhere, and at …
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Mycosis fungoides is a type of cancer called lymphoma that starts in the skin. A lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes, the white blood cells that help protect the body from infection. In mycosis fungoides, the cancerous cells are a type of lymphocyte called T cells, which build up in the skin and cause rashes, …
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In a molecular pathology report, the word rearrangement refers to a change in the DNA structure within a cell. DNA is usually organized into long strands called chromosomes, each containing many genes. A rearrangement happens when a piece of a chromosome breaks off and attaches somewhere else, either on the same chromosome or another chromosome. …
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In a molecular pathology report, the word fusion refers to a specific genetic change in which two different genes that are normally separate join together. This joining creates a new, hybrid gene that produces an abnormal protein. These fusion events happen inside the cancer cells and are not something a person is born with. Because …
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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow — the soft tissue inside bones that makes blood cells. In acute myeloid leukemia, immature blood cells called blasts grow too quickly and do not develop into normal, working blood cells. As blasts accumulate, they crowd out healthy cells, …
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Nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a cancer arising in the nasopharynx, the area at the back of the nasal cavity above the soft palate. The term “nonkeratinizing” describes the appearance of the cancer cells under the microscope: they produce little or no keratin (a tough protein that gives other …
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Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare, slow-growing blood cancer that starts in B cells — the white blood cells that help the body fight infections. It belongs to the Hodgkin lymphoma family but differs fundamentally from the more common type, classic Hodgkin lymphoma, in its cell biology, behavior, and treatment. Compared with classic …
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Reed-Sternberg cells are a specific type of abnormal cell found in certain cancers. These cells are large, with a distinctive appearance under the microscope, and they play an important role in the diagnosis of a cancer called Hodgkin lymphoma. Reed-Sternberg cells are believed to be derived from a white blood cell type known as a …
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Classic Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the lymph nodes — small bean-shaped glands distributed throughout the body that are part of the immune system. It is defined by the presence of distinctive abnormal cells called Reed-Sternberg cells, which are much larger than normal immune cells and have a characteristic appearance …
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