Clinicopathological characteristics and MYC status determine treatment outcome in plasmablastic lymphoma: a multi-center study of 76 consecutive patients

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare and aggressive B-cell disorder of post-germinal centre origin with features intermediate between high-grade B-cell lymphoma and plasma cell malignancies 1 , 2 , 3 . PBL recurrently arises in the elderly due to age-related immunosenescence, secondary to iatrogenic immunosuppresion, or in HIV-positive patients 4 . Due to the scarcity of the disease, patients are insufficiently represented in clinical trials, treatment is likely to be heterogeneous and translational research is challenging. Compared to other aggressive B-cell malignancies, PBL outcome is dismal and therapeutic options, especially in elderly and frail patients are highly limited, warranting the need for alternative therapeutic approaches 5 .