Beloved Australian actor, Magda Szubanski, has revealed she’s been identified with a “very uncommon, very aggressive, very severe” blood most cancers known as mantle cell lymphoma.
In a publish on social media on Thursday, Szubanski mentioned she could be beginning remedy in a number of weeks for the stage 4 most cancers, which she known as “one of many nasty ones, sadly.”
So, what’s mantle cell lymphoma? And the way is it handled?
What’s mantle cell lymphoma?
There are greater than 100 subtypes of blood cancers, however they’re generally divided into certainly one of two teams. These are primarily based on the place they originate: leukemias develop within the bone marrow, and lymphomas develop within the lymphatic system.
Lymphomas develop from white blood cells (lymphocytes), which flow into within the blood and lymphatic system and assist battle an infection.
You could not have heard of the lymphatic system, however it performs a key position in your immune response.
The lymphatic circulatory system is liable for transporting fluids (lymph) round your physique. Lymph comes from blood plasma, and helps take away waste out of your tissues.
As a part of the lymphatic system, tissues just like the spleen and thymus assist produce most of the immune cells you utilize to battle infections.
These cells are then housed in specialised organs known as lymph nodes—small pea-sized glands situated all through your physique.
Lymph nodes are form of just like the “struggle room” of your immune system.
Your physique comprises a whole bunch of lymph nodes, and every comprises thousands and thousands of lymphocytes. These embrace the T and B cells—the primary preventing cells in adaptive immunity.
If B cells in an space of the lymph node often called the “mantle zone” develop into cancerous, it’s known as mantle cell lymphoma.
How uncommon is it?
In 2020, there have been 330 instances of mantle cell lymphoma identified in Australia, accounting for a small fraction (5%) of lymphoma instances.
General, lymphomas account for round one in 20 new most cancers diagnoses. This makes mantle cell lymphoma fairly uncommon.
Mantle cell lymphoma is about 3 times extra frequent in males than in ladies, and principally impacts individuals over the age of 60.
Is there a treatment?
Sadly, mantle cell lymphoma is basically thought of incurable with the therapies presently out there.
Like many cancers, mantle cell lymphoma can differ in how rapidly it develops and its severity.
As Szubanski’s most cancers has been described as “fast-moving” and is already stage 4, it seems that it’s a extra severe case.
Stage 4 is probably the most superior stage—which means the most cancers has unfold (metastasized) to different tissues.
Therapy at this stage could be extra sophisticated than when the most cancers is caught earlier. However remedy can nonetheless assist individuals go on to stay for a few years.
What does remedy contain?
In her social media publish, Szubanski mentioned she might be receiving “among the finest therapies out there (the Nordic protocol)”.
This is without doubt one of the commonest therapies for an aggressive lymphoma.
The primary part is “R-CHOP”—a mixture remedy. It includes a combination of various medication, together with chemotherapy, to assault the most cancers from a number of angles on the identical time.
Completely different strengths of the medication can be utilized (the utmost energy is typically known as R-maxi-CHOP).
A stem cell transplantation may be included within the routine.
How efficient this remedy is will rely on many various components, together with the kind and stage of the lymphoma.
The purpose is to kill as many most cancers cells as potential, and due to this fact lengthen a affected person’s life for so long as potential.
Remedy additionally focuses on offering a excessive quality-of-life for sufferers.
How is it identified?
Szubanski’s mantle cell lymphoma was detected throughout a breast most cancers display screen the place, she says, “they discovered my lymph nodes have been up.”
Imaging strategies, reminiscent of a mammogram or MRI, might detect tell-tale indicators of lymphoma, reminiscent of swollen lymph nodes.
Nonetheless, a biopsy—a small pattern of tissue from the affected space—would then be required to verify the presence of most cancers cells and establish what sort.
Blood most cancers signs could be imprecise, however it’s good to know what to search for.
In addition to swollen lymph nodes, signs of lymphoma embrace nausea, tiredness, lack of urge for food, fevers, gastrointestinal points, unexplained weight reduction, and night time sweats.
In case you have any considerations, you must seek the advice of a health care provider.
This text is republished from The Dialog underneath a Inventive Commons license. Learn the unique article.
Quotation:
What’s mantle cell lymphoma? The ‘uncommon and fast-moving’ most cancers defined (2025, Might 31)
retrieved 31 Might 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-05-mantle-cell-lymphoma-rare-fast.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any truthful dealing for the aim of personal examine or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is supplied for info functions solely.
