NCI identifies new lymphoma subtypes
A New England Journal of Medicine paper out of NIH's National Cancer Institute revealed new subtypes of diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL) that could lead to more targeted therapeutic strategies. The report adds to a growing body of literature that supports classifying and treating tumors based on tumor biology rather than the tissue type from which the tumor arose.
The study sought to refine established DLBCL subtypes into subtypes based on genetic and expression profiles. Current DLBCL subgroups -- activated B-cell-like (ABC) and germinal-center B-cell-like (GCB) -- were classified according to cells of origin. The authors noted that the ABC and GCB classifications did not account for all types of DLBCL or accurately predict responses to drugs such as Imbruvica ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor marketed by AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV)...