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Hospitals for the treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma in India are successfully treating many international patients for past recent years. It is clearly visible from the success rate of treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma in India. The medical facilities in Indian hospitals are comparable to any other Western or European hospital. These Indian hospitals maintain high standards of hygiene and are responsive to patient needs and requirements. The surgeons have a vast experience in oncological surgery and their success rate is very high. Treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma in India at hospitals is performed using the latest and most modern technology and techniques. A large group of experienced oncologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists and rehabilitation physicians provide the best services who had their subspecialty training and working experiences from oversea including the US, Australia and Japan. What is Burkitt Lymphoma? Burkitt's lymphoma is an uncommon type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). Burkitt's lymphoma commonly affects children. It is a highly aggressive type of B-cell lymphoma that often starts and involves body parts other than lymph nodes. In spite of its fast-growing nature, Burkitt's lymphoma is often curable with modern intensive therapies. There are two broad types of Burkitt's lymphoma – the sporadic and the endemic varieties. There is a very high incidence of this disease in equatorial Africa and disease in this region is called endemic Burkitt's lymphoma. Disease in other regions of the world is much less common and is called sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma. Though they are the same disease, the two forms are different in many ways. Endemic Burkitt's lymphoma: In equatorial Africa, about half of all childhood cancers are Burkitt's lymphoma. The disease involves children much more than adults and is related to Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection in 95% cases. It characteristically has a high chance of involving the jawbone, a rather distinctive feature that is rare in sporadic Burkitt's. It also commonly involves the abdomen. Sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma : The type of Burkitt's lymphoma that affects the rest of the world, including Europe and America is the sporadic type. Here too, it's mainly a disease in children. The link between Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is not as strong as with the endemic variety, though direct evidence of EBV infection is present in one out of five patients. More than the involvement of lymph nodes, it is the abdomen that is notably affected in more than 90% of the children. Bone marrow involvement is more common than in the sporadic variety. Jaw involvement is extremely rare. Symptoms of Burkitt's Lymphoma In children, symptoms may appear as soon as four to six weeks after the Burkitt's lymphoma begins to grow. The more common symptom pattern is a large tumor in the child's abdomen accompanied by fluid buildup, pain and vomiting. If the lymphoma begins in the blood marrow, the child may bleed easily and become anemic. In adults, the first symptoms of Burkitt's lymphoma may include swelling in a lymph node in the upper body or a swollen and painful abdomen. If the tumor is located in the chest, it may put pressure on the airway and cause difficulty in breathing. There may be unexplained itching or weight loss. Other patients may have more general symptoms such as fever or a loss of energy. Adults with AIDS often have tumors developing in several different locations in the body by the time they are diagnosed. What are the treatments for Burkitt's lymphoma? Because of the rapid rate of tumor growth in thisBurkitt's lymphoma, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. Bulky abdominal tumors or chest tumors are sometimes removed surgically before the patient begins chemotherapy. Children with Burkitt's lymphoma are treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The drug used most often to treat endemic Burkitt's is cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), a drug that suppresses the immune system but has severe side effects. It may be given orally or intravenously. Radiation therapy is used to treat lymphomas that affect the jaw and the area around the eyes. Children with sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma are treated with a short course of high-dose chemotherapy, usually cyclophosphamide in combination with methotrexate (MTX), vincristine(Oncovin), prednisone (Meticorten) and doxorubicin (Adriamycin). To prevent the spread of the Burkitt's lymphoma to the central nervous system, the patient's head and spine may be treated with radiation therapy and intrathecal methotrexate. In intrathecal chemotherapy, the drug is injected directly into the patient's spinal fluid. Adults with sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma are treated with a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. A newer high-dose chemotherapy regimen called CODOX-M/IVAC, which is a combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, methotrexate, ifosfamide (Ifex),etoposide (VePesid) and cytarabine (ARA-C), appears to produce good results. Adults with AIDS are usually given low-dose chemotherapy because their immune systems are already damaged. They do not respond as well to treatment as patients without HIV infection. Newer methods of treatment for Burkitt's lymphoma include bone marrow or stem cell transplantation and monoclonal antibodies (antibodies produced by cloned mouse cells grown in a laboratory). One monoclonal antibody, rituximab (Rituxan), has been approved by the FDA for treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, including Burkitt's lymphoma. Clinical trials in France indicate that rituximab combined with standard chemotherapy improves the rates of remission and survival in high-risk patients. Prognosis The prognosis for children with Burkitt's lymphoma is generally good, as this type of lymphoma responds well to chemotherapy. Children with African Burkitt's often show a significant improvement after only one dose of cyclophosphamide. In the United States, 80% of children treated for early-stage Burkitt's lymphoma remain free from relapse three years after treatment. The newer CODOX-M/IVAC combination chemotherapy has been credited with a cure rate above 90% in both children and adults. The prognosis for adults depends on a number of factors. In recent years, the International Prognostic Index or IPI, has been used to predict a specific patient's chance of recurrence and length of survival on the basis of five factors. Each of the following factors is given one point: age over 60 years the lymphoma is classified as Stage III or Stage IV the lymphoma has spread to more than one site outside the lymph nodes high levels of lactate dehydrogenase (an enzyme used to measure tumor burden) poor general health In patients with AIDS, the factors that affect the prognosis include: the CD4 lymphocyte count; the presence of opportunistic infections (AIDS-defining illnesses); involvement of the bone marrow; spread of the lymphoma beyond the lymph nodes; age and the patient's overall strength. A history of opportunistic infections, a CD4 count below 200, age above 35 and being too weak to walk indicate a poor prognosis. The average length of survival of HIV-positive patients with Burkitt's lymphoma is six months. Why India? The high rate of successful treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma in India is a reality, but only in the hands of a highly skilled and experienced cancer surgeon. Indian cancer hospitals are leading hospitals having wide range of services available for overseas patients with a dedicated international department and serviced apartments for those who require them. Treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma in India has become a fairly common procedure over the past twenty years due to dramatically improved success with advanced techniques. Patients from abroad are very much satisfied with the quality of treatment they get in India. The surgery is performed by most experienced surgeons in India. For more details on Burkitt's lymphoma in India, visit us at; www.forerunnershealthcare.com or you can mail your queries at enquiry@forerunnershealthcare.com or you can call on – 0091-98607-55000 / 0091-937-1136-499