Words to know: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
- B cell
- A type of white blood cell that makes antibodies. DLBCL starts in B cells.
- Lymph node
- A small, bean-shaped gland that filters fluid and holds immune cells.
- Aggressive lymphoma
- A fast-growing lymphoma that needs treatment soon but is often curable.
- B symptoms
- Fever, drenching night sweats, or losing a lot of weight without trying.
- Biopsy
- Removing tissue to look at under a microscope.
- PET-CT scan
- A scan that shows active cancer cells, which light up because they use more sugar.
- Deauville score
- A 1 to 5 score used to read PET scans. A score of 1 to 3 usually means no active lymphoma.
- LDH
- A protein in the blood that can be high when lymphoma is growing fast.
- IPI
- International Prognostic Index. A 0 to 5 risk score for DLBCL.
- Cell of origin
- Whether DLBCL came from a germinal center B cell (GCB) or an activated B cell (ABC or non-GCB).
- Double-hit lymphoma
- Lymphoma with rearrangements of both the MYC and BCL2 genes. It can grow faster.
- FISH
- A lab test that finds moved or missing pieces of genes and chromosomes.
- CNS
- Central nervous system: the brain and spinal cord.
- CNS prophylaxis
- Treatment to lower the chance of lymphoma spreading to the brain or spinal cord.
- R-CHOP
- Rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone. The classic first treatment for DLBCL.
- Pola-R-CHP
- R-CHOP with polatuzumab vedotin in place of vincristine.
- Monoclonal antibody
- A lab-made protein that attaches to a marker on cancer cells, such as rituximab attaching to CD20.
- Antibody-drug conjugate
- An antibody that carries a strong cancer drug straight to the cancer cell, such as polatuzumab vedotin.
- CAR T-cell therapy
- A treatment that changes your own T cells in a lab so they can find and attack lymphoma.
- Bispecific antibody
- A drug that links a T cell to a lymphoma cell so the T cell can kill it.
- Cytokine release syndrome (CRS)
- A strong immune reaction that can cause fever and low blood pressure after CAR T or bispecific antibodies.
- ICANS
- Short-term brain and nerve side effects, like confusion, after CAR T or bispecific antibodies.
- Tumor lysis syndrome
- A problem that happens when many cancer cells die at once and release salts that can harm the kidneys.
- Primary refractory
- Lymphoma that does not respond to the first treatment.
- Autologous stem cell transplant
- High-dose chemotherapy followed by your own saved stem cells to rebuild the bone marrow.
Last updated: 2026-10-27. Medically reviewed by Veli Bakalov, MD, medical oncologist (October 2026). General education from Step by Step, the patient portal of HemeOncBuddy.