Interrogating Genomic Signatures of Pediatric Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma to Determine Potential Targeted Therapies

Background

Mature B cell lymphoma is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adolescents. Patients typically present having a fast growing, symptomatic mass with nodal enlargement in the neck or the abdomen. While outcome is typically favorable with standard chemotherapy, there are two main challenges that still arise. These include optimizing treatment to prevent relapse and minimizing long term side effects for survivors.

Project Goal

In our study, we aim to investigate correlations between genetic markers, clinical outcomes and demographics to identify potential risk factors, new targeted treatment markers and indicators of prognosis. We have identified 50 diffuse large B cell lymphomas, 70 Burkitt’s lymphomas, 20 primary mediastinal large B cell lymphomas and 30 anaplastic large cell lymphomas in our CHOP archives. All of the cases have formalin fixed paraffin embedded blocks and a subset of cases have associated frozen tissue. The pediatric pathologists and geneticists at CHOP will perform genomic, RNA and proteomic studies in order to understand the molecular basis of pediatric lymphoma and to identify dysregulated pathways that may be specifically targeted by therapeutic interventions. 

We will perform a retrospective chart review of these same patients. Data analyzed will include patient demographics such as gender, age and ethnicity, pathologic variants such as histology and immunocytochemistry, disease data including location and stage, treatment used, complications and toxicities of therapy and outcome. We hope to find associations between specific genetic mutations and clinical outcomes that can impact the treatment, management and prognosis of patients with pediatric non-Hodgkin lymphoma.