Aberrations of theMYCgene in unselected cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are rare and unpredictable by morphological or immunohistochemical assessment

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Abstract
Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) with aberrations ofMYCprobably represent a distinct clinicopathological entity following an aggressive course. Their incidence in unselected DLBCL collectives is debatable and the identification of such cases may be difficult. Therefore, the molecular epidemiology ofMYCaberrations in DLBCL and whether they can be predicted by morphology and immunohistochemistry were studied on tissue microarrays containing 333 cases. Evaluation ofMYCby fluorescence in situ hybridisation was successful in 220/333 (66%) cases. 9/220 (4%) cases showedMYCbreaks. Re-evaluation of these tumours did not show any specific morphological and/or immunohistochemical features. The median survival time was 9 months for the respective patients, as opposed to 80 for patients withoutMYCbreaks. The presence ofMYCbreaks in DLBCL cannot be reliably predicted by conventional methods. Since such patients might profit from different forms of treatment, routine testing of all DLBCL forMYCaberrations is suggested.