MCL usually affects lymph nodes and can also involve other organs.
There are a growing number of treatment options for both newly diagnosed and relapsed MCL.
Enlarged lymph nodes may be close enough beneath the skins surface that they can be felt with the hands.
However, they may also be deeper inside the body.
When MCL affect the stomach or bowel, it may produce symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain.
In forms of MCL that are less aggressive, people often have nolymph node enlargementand instead have an enlargedspleen.
Another term for an enlarged spleen is splenomegaly.
Men are affected more often than women, but the reasons for this pattern are unknown.
Malignancies develop in association with changes in genetic code, or mutations in DNA.
Other clues about causes may relate to where the MCL cells originate.
In the physical examination, the doctor may feel the lymph nodes in certain areas to detect any swelling.
This fluid is obtained for analysis by a procedure known as a lumbar puncture.
A small percentage of MCL cases are more indolent; others behave more aggressively.
Treatment
There are a number of different treatment options available for patients newly diagnosed with MCL.
The right ones for you will depend on your disease, your goals, and your individual circumstances.
Often treatment regimens are categorized as aggressive therapy or less aggressive therapy.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is an option at first remission or at the time of relapse.
Less aggressive first-line treatment examples may include:
Maintenance therapy may follow the first-line regimen.
Rituximab every eight weeks is one such regimen for which the benefits are currently being evaluated.
Examples include:
The choice of second-line treatment depends on various factors.
Personal preferences, insurance status, or economic concerns may also play a role in the decision-making process.
That is, different people have very different experiences with this disease.
Unfortunately, the latter group has been more of the exception rather than the rule for MCL.
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