Recent progress in lymphoma classification.

Abstract

In the Revised European-American list of lymphoid neoplasms recently proposed by the hematopathologists of the International Lymphoma Study Group, the disease entities currently recognized in the literature among the B-cell and T/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphomas and leukemias and variants of Hodgkin's disease are collected and defined. This proposal is here to stay. The main challenge for the future is to present the information in this list in a form that facilitates the understanding, learning, and teaching of these disorders. A meaningful classification for clinical use has already been built on the foundation provided by this list, through the agreement of an international group of clinicians. Newer data confirm the clinical validity of many categories in the list. Others suggest the need for additions or possible changes. To be discussed, among the latter, are: a need for a better definition of the new category of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma; the variants of mantle-cell lymphoma and their correlation with genomic abnormalities; the need for a clarification of the relationship among the variants listed as "marginal zone B-cell" lymphomas; the subclassification of large B-cell lymphomas; and the coming of age of the NK-cell lymphomas.