Recent advances in the understanding and treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Using the conventional cyclophosphamide adriablastin vincristin prednisolon polychemotherapy about 50% of the patients were cured. The addition of rituximab to the regimen increased the cure rate to 60%. This is a major improvement, however, further advance is still needed to increase the cure rate. The extensive genetic testing performed recently revealed several important pathognomic mutations as potential targets in this disease. Routine diagnosis of patients now includes the use of (18)Fluor-deoxy-glucose positron emission computer tomography, according to the recent Lugano classification system. With all these data we can better predict the prognosis of patients, and we can select candidates for novel targeted therapies as well. Answering these questions, and utilizing novel therapies possibly will further increase the cure rate in the near future. This paper summarizes current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and describes recent understanding in the mutations and pathognomic changes resulting in the disease. The authors also summarize the data available on experimental therapies possibly entering clinical pratice in the forthcoming years.