SkiptomaincontentHomeAboutcancerNon-HodgkinlymphomaTypesandgradesDiffuselargeBcelllymphomaDiffuselargeBcelllymphoma(DLBCL)isatypeofnon-Hodgkinlymphoma(NHL).NHLisacancerofthelymphaticsystem. ItdevelopswhenthebodymakesabnormalBlymphocytes.Theselymphocytesareatypeofwhitebloodcellthatnormallyhelptofightinfections. Whenyouhavealymphoma,theabnormallymphocytesbuildupinlymphnodesorotherbodyorgans. DLBCL growsquicklyandyourtreatmentstartssoonafterdiagnosis.ThelymphaticsystemThelymphaticsystemisanimportantpartofourimmunesystem.Ithastubesthatbranchthroughallpartsofthebody.Thesetubesarecalledlymphvesselsorlymphaticvesselsandtheycarryastrawcolouredliquidcalledlymph.Thisliquidcirculatesaroundthebodytissues.Itcontainsahighnumberofwhitebloodcells(lymphocytes)whichfightinfection.Whenyouhavelymphoma,someofyourwhitebloodcells(lymphocytes)don'tworkproperly.Theystarttodivideconstantlybutdon'tdevelopfully.Sotheycan'tfightinfectionasnormalwhitebloodcellsdo.TherearedifferenttypesofNHL.Thetypeyouhavedependsonseveralfactorsincludingthetypeofcellitstartsinandhowfastgrowingitis.Therearetwomaintypesoflymphocytes–BcellsandTcells.Theybothhelpusfightinfectionsbutinslightlydifferentways.DLBCL affectstheBcellsandsoiscalledaBcelllymphoma.Howcommonisit?Eachyearabout5,500peoplearediagnosedwithDLBCL.Thismakesupabout40outof100cases(40%)ofNHLinadults.DLBCL ismorecommoninmalesthanfemales.TypesofdiffuselargeBcelllymphoma(DLBCL)Asthenamesuggests,diffuselargeBcelllymphoma(DLBCL)meansthistypeoflymphomahas:abnormalandenlargedBcells(atypeofwhitebloodcell)cancercellsinaspreadout(diffuse)patternTherearesomedifferentsubtypesofDLBCL.Somesubtypesarequiterare,butmosttypesaretreatedinasimilarway.Theseraretypesinclude:T-cell/histiocyte-richlargeB-celllymphoma  EpsteinBarrviruspositiveDLBCLoftheelderlyALKpositivelargeBcelllymphomaprimarymediastinal(thymic)largeBcelllymphomaintravascularlargeBcelllymphomaSymptomsSymptomscanstartorgetworseinjustafewweeks.PainlessswellingsThemostcommonsymptomisoneormorepainlessswellings.The