Burkitt's Lymphoma | What you need to know

15.08.2025

Burkitt's lymphoma

Burkitt's lymphoma is a rare, fast-growing cancer of B lymphocyte cells. It is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It occurs predominantly in children and rarely in young adults. Symptoms of the disease begin suddenly and become severe rapidly.

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The process begins in the lymph nodes of the abdominal and pelvic cavities, although the process may spread to:

In the bone marrow
In the gastrointestinal tract
In the bones
In the spleen
In the throat
In the tonsils

Because the tumor progresses very quickly, Burkitt lymphoma is often life-threatening. With timely treatment, people go into long-term remission.

Types of Burkitt's lymphoma

Endemic – most common in the African region and associated with infection with the Epstein-Barr virus
Sporadic – Widespread everywhere, especially common in children. It accounts for 40% of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases.
Immunodeficiency-associated – develops in people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus and other immunocompromised people.

How common is Burkitt's lymphoma?

In the United States, Burkitt's lymphoma affects 1 out of 4 million children under the age of 16. The incidence of infection in children is highest between the ages of 12 and 13.

Symptoms of Burkitt's lymphoma

Symptoms appear suddenly

Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting
Fever, weakness, night sweats
Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
Swollen lymph nodes

The symptoms of the disease may resemble a banal infection, but the rapid progression and increase in tumor size raise suspicion of lymphoma.

Causes of Burkitt's lymphoma

The exact mechanism of Burkitt's lymphoma development has not been fully understood, although studies have shown that the disease is associated with: MYC Gene Changes (variations). This gene controls cell growth. Translocations (a type of mutation in which parts of a gene are rearranged) in the gene cause the cell to grow more rapidly. It has been found that some people with Burkitt lymphoma also have an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus, although not all people infected with the virus develop lymphoma.

Complications

Severe decrease in blood cell count
Tumor Disintegration syndrome
Severe deterioration of the immune system

Diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma

Diagnosis of the disease often begins with a lymph node biopsy and morphological study of the biopsy. The following are also performed:

CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis
Positron emission tomography – for studying tumor sites
Bone marrow biopsy
Lumbar puncture – with examination of cerebrospinal fluid
Detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA by PCR is often of diagnostic value in patients with Burkitt lymphoma.

The disease has 4 stages, and in advanced cases, damage to lymph nodes and organs in various regions occurs.