New 'good practice' paper on primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma

Published on: 19 March 2019

The British Society of Haematology has released new guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of PMBCL.

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The British Society of Haematology last month released new ‘good practice’ guidelines on the diagnosis and management of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL). PMBL is a subtype of large B-cell lymphoma that accounts for 2 to 4 in every 100 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It tends to affect younger adults (typically 20 to 30 years) and is more common in women than men.

Because PMBL is a rare condition, there is limited evidence on the best way to manage it. This means that treatment may vary from specialist to specialist. The new British Society of Haematology paper recommends good practice in the diagnosis and treatment of PMBL. The recommendations aim to provide uniformity of care. They cover:

  • how to diagnose and stage PMBL
  • fertility considerations before treatment
  • treatment options, including clinical trials
  • how to assess response to treatment
  • management of PMBL that does not respond or comes back after initial treatment
  • follow-up.

For more information on PMBL, visit our webpage on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, download our booklet on high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas or use our TrialsLink service to search for clinical trials in PMBL.

19 March 2019