Understanding B Cell Lymphoma: Types, Causes & Symptoms

B cell lymphomas are a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. According to the Leukemia &Lymphoma Society, there are 30 distinct kinds of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 90 percent of which are various B cell lymphomas.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

• The lymphatic system helps the body resist disease. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is cancer that originates in disease-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes.

B Cells

• Lymphocytes are either B cells or T cells. B cells produce antibodies, a protein that fights bacteria and viruses by attaching to them, which attracts other cells from the immune system that subsequently digest the germs.

B Cell Lymphomas

• Lymphomas are cancerous tumors that originate in the lymph nodes after lymphocytes become malignant, multiply and force out healthy cells. B cell lymphomas develop from B cell lymphocytes.

Incidence

• The Leukemia &Lymphoma Society reports that roughly half of B cell lymphoma cases are either diffuse large B Cell lymphoma or follicular lymphoma. The first accounts for approximately 31 percent of cases and the second 22 percent.

Considerations

• There are 14 types of B cell lymphomas. According to the National Cancer Institute, most lymphomas that appear after stem cell or bone marrow transplants are of the non-Hodgkin B cell variety.