Burkitt Lymphoma

Burkitt lymphoma (or Burkitt’s lymphoma) is a rare and domineering form of cancer.  It is a type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and its origins can often be linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).  Burkitt lymphoma is an extremely aggressive form of B-cell lymphoma named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, who initially identified this disease in 1956 in central Africa.

Burkitt’s lymphoma is most prevalent in children, and most incidences of this disease arise from equatorial Africa.

This type of lymphoma can generally be classified into one of three types: the endemic variety, the sporadic variety, and the immunodeficiency associated type.  There is a very high occurrence of the endemic type in central Africa, while incidents of Burkitt lymphoma in other regions of the world are almost always the sporadic type.

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma

Approximately half of all cases of cancer occurring in children in central Africa are Burkitt lymphoma.  In almost all of the cases, bodily resistance to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is noted to be reduced, which allows this endemic strain to easily take hold.  The endemic strain involves the person’s jawbone in a high amount of cases which is a rare occurrence in the sporadic or immunodeficiency varieties.

Sporadic Burkitt lymphoma

The type of Burkitt lymphoma that affects the rest of the world outside central Africa is almost always the sporadic strain.  The connection between sporadic Burkitt lymphoma and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is not as strong as it is with the endemic variety.  Another characteristic of the sporadic lymphoma variety is that the abdomen is usually affected instead of the jawbone.

Immunodeficiency-associated Burkitt lymphoma

As stated in Wikipedia:

Immunodeficiency-associated Burkitt lymphoma is usually associated with HIV infection or occurs in the setting of post-transplant patients who are taking immunosuppressive drugs.  Burkitt lymphoma can be one of the diseases associated with the initial manifestation of AIDS

Even though Burkitt’s lymphoma is a life threatening and highly aggressive tumor, it is also one of the most curable varieties of cancer.  With the abilities acquired from modern medicine through the use of prescription medications, chemotherapy and patient support, Burkitt lymphoma is cured in most cases.