Pediatric Lymphoma in central nervous system

Project leader: Monica Cheng Munthe-Kaas, Oslo University Hospital.

This study will explore central nervous system (CNS) involvement in children and adolescents with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), i.e. its biology and impact on overall prognosis of childhood NHL. The study is conducted in collaboration with childhood cancer centers throughout the Nordic, Baltic and European countries.
Lymphoma is the third most common group of cancers in children and adolescents. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) represents the majority of this diagnosis. Histology is used to diagnose NHL in children, and there is a greater chance of involvement of the central nervous system in patients with advanced disease (eg bone marrow affection), primary tumor in the head and neck, or a subtype of Burkitt lymphoma.
The standard method for detecting cancer cells in the central nervous system is by examining the spinal fluid by cell counting and microscopy. In newer methods, where one examines proteins on the surface of the cells with particularly sensitive techniques, it is possible to find cancer cells at a much lower level than the standard method.