MALT Lymphoma Health Article

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTOR

• When will I know the results of the biopsies?
• Where does the lymphoma seem to be growing? Is there any evidence that it has spread?
• Does the pathology report indicate that this lymphoma is indolent? Will you treat me with antibiotics? Do you think chemotherapy or radiation is needed? Why?
• How long will I take the antibiotics or undergo chemotherapy before I am re-examined to see if the lymphoma is in remission?

Antigen

—A foreign substance that leads to an immune response, including the production of antibodies by B cells.

Autoimmune disease

—A condition in which an individual's immune system reacts to their own tissues, viewing self components as if they were foreign antigens.

Bone marrow biopsy

—A procedure in which cellular material is removed from the pelvis or breast-bone and examined under a microscope to look for the presence of abnormal blood cells characteristic of specific forms of leukemia and lymphoma.

Indolent lymphoma (also called low-grade)

—Cancerous growths of lymphoid tissue that progress slowly to more aggressive forms of cancer.

Lymphoid tissue

—Sites within the body that produce cells of the immune system, including lymph nodes, bone marrow, and the thymus.