The incidence, natural history, biology, and treatment of transformed lymphomas

Treatment of patients with transformed lymphoma presents a significant challenge to the practicing physician. Indeed, the transformation of follicular lymphoma to a more aggressive histology is inherent to the biology of this disease and is often associated with an aggressive clinical course, resulting in a poor prognosis. Recent population-based studies have better defined the incidence of this event, and recent laboratory studies have defined the molecular and immunological processes associated with transformation. These studies will be discussed in this review, as will the treatment options for these patients.