Primary pancreatic lymphoma (PL) is an extremely rare disease, and large-scale studies are rarely performed even in Western countries, in which all cases of PL reported to date were of the B-cell type. Little information regarding PL is available in Japan. Nineteen cases of PL were collected through a nationwide study in Japan, and paraffin-embedded specimens were processed for staining with hematoxylin and eosin and by immunohistochemical procedures. Clinicopathological findings were reviewed and compared with those reported in Western countries. The patient population consisted of 13 men and 6 women, ranging in age from 46 to 84 (average 62) years. Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptom. Tumors were located in the pancreatic head (12 cases), tail (4 cases) and body (2 cases), and ranged in size from 4 to 17 cm. Clinical stage was IE in 9 cases and IIE in 10. Radical resection was performed in 10 cases and bypass operation in 1, followed by chemotherapy in 8. Immunophenotypically, 15 cases were B-cell and 4 were T-cell lymphomas. Seventy-three percent of B-cell tumors were diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. The 1-year actuarial survival rate for B-cell lymphomas (51.9%) was better than that of T-cell lymphomas (0%). However, in Japan the incidence of T-cell PLs was higher, and, partly as a consequence of this, prognosis was poorer than in Western countries.

Keywords:
Primary pancreatic lymphoma, Nationwide study, Japan, Immunophenotype, Revised European American classification on lymphoid neoplasms
1.
Tuchek JM, De Jong SA, Pickleman J: Diagnosis, surgical intervention, and prognosis of primary pancreatic lymphoma. Am Surg 1993;59:513–518.
2.
Webb TH, Lillemoe KD, Pitt HA, Jones RJ, Cameron JL: Pancreatic lymphoma: Is surgery mandatory for diagnosis or treatment? Ann Surg 1989;209:25–30.
3.
Behrns KE, Sarr MG, Strickler JG: Pancreatic lymphoma: Is it a surgical disease? Pancreas 1994;9:662–667.
4.
Mansour GMI, Cucchiaro G, Niotis MT, Fetter BF, Moore J, Rice RR, et al: Surgical management of pancreatic lymphoma. Arch Surg 1989;124:1287–1289.
5.
Satake K, Arimoto Y, Fujimoto Y, Nishiwaki H, Nishino H, Umeyama K, et al: Malignant T-cell lymphoma of the pancreas. Pancreas 1991;6:120–124.
6.
Maruyama H, Nakatsuji N, Sugihara S, Atsumi M, Shimamoto K, Hayashi K, et al: Anaplastic Ki-1 positive large cell lymphoma of the pancreas: A case report and review of the literature. Jpn J Clin Oncol 1997;27:51–57.
7.
Nakazaki T, Tobinaga K, Taketomi K, Kimino K, Nakasone T, Yamashita H, et al: A case of malignant lymphoma of the pancreas (in Japanese). J Jpn Soc Clin Surg 1997;58:448–452.
8.
T- and B-Cell Malignancy Study Group: Statistical analysis of immunologic, clinical and histopathologic data on lymphoid malignancies in Japan. Jpn J Clin Oncol 1981;11:15–38.
9.
T- and B-Cell Malignancy Study Group: Statistical analysis of clinico-pathological, virological and epidemiological data on lymphoid malignancies with special reference to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: A report of the second nationwide study in Japan. Jpn J Clin Oncol 1985;15:517–535.
10.
Harris NL, Jaffe ES, Stein H, Banks PM, Chen JK, Cleary ML, et al: A revised European American classification of lymphoid neoplasms: A proposal from the International Lymphoma Study Group. Blood 1994;84:1361–1392.
11.
Dawson IMP, Cornes JS, Morson BC: Primary lymphoid tumors of the intestinal tract: Report of 37 cases with a study of factors influencing prognosis. Br J Surg 1961;49:80–89.
12.
Hsu S-M, Raine L, Fanger H: Use of avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) in immunoperoxidase techniques: A comparison between ABC and unlabeled antibody (PAP) procedures. J Histochem Cytochem 1981;27:577–580.
13.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Pathologic Classification Project: National Cancer Institute sponsored Study of Classification of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas: Summary and description of a Working Formulation for clinical usage. Cancer 1982;49:2112–2135.
14.
Keung Y-K, Cobos E, Trowers E: Primary pancreatic lymphoma associated with short bowel syndrome: Review of carcinogenesis of gastrointestinal malignancies. Leuk Lymphoma 1997;26:405–408.
15.
Jones WF, Sheikh MY, McClave SA: AIDS-related non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the pancreas. Am J Gastroenterol 1997;92:335–338.
16.
Fischer MG, Kabakow B: Lymphoma of the pancreas. Mt Sinai J Med 1987;54:423–426.
© 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel
2001
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.