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Published on: September 18, 2013
Treatment of pediatric Burkitt lymphoma in Turkey
Tiraje Tülin Celkan1, Safa Bariş, Nihal Ozdemir
1Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul. tirajecelkan@yahoo.com
Insights
This study evaluated children with Burkitt lymphoma treated with the BFM protocol. Low hemoglobin, CSF positivity, and dialysis at diagnosis negatively impacted event-free survival in pediatric Burkitt lymphoma patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Hematologic Malignancies
Background:
- Burkitt lymphoma is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma with distinct clinical and biological features.
- The Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster-95 (BFM) protocol is a standard treatment regimen for pediatric lymphomas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess demographic data and treatment outcomes of pediatric Burkitt lymphoma patients treated with the BFM protocol.
- To identify prognostic factors influencing event-free survival (EFS) in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 48 pediatric Burkitt lymphoma patients treated at a single institution.
- Evaluation of demographic data, primary tumor sites, and survival outcomes (overall survival and EFS).
- Statistical analysis (univariate and multivariate) to identify predictors of EFS.
Main Results:
- The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were 78.1% and 76.6%, respectively.
- Primary tumor sites included abdomen (70.8%) and head and neck (22.9%).
- Low hemoglobin (<10 g/dL), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) positivity, and dialysis requirement at diagnosis were significant adverse predictors for EFS.
Conclusions:
- Hemoglobin level, CSF status, and need for dialysis are critical prognostic indicators in pediatric Burkitt lymphoma.
- The observed EFS in this cohort was lower compared to other centers using the BFM-95 protocol, suggesting potential areas for treatment optimization.
Abstract:
This study aimed to assess the demographic data and treatment results of children who were diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma and treated according to the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster-95 (BFM) protocol in a single institution. A total of 48 patients (37 boys, 77%) with a median age of 8 years (range 2 to 16 years) at diagnosis, were evaluated. Primary tumor sites were abdomen (70.8%), head and neck (22.9%), peripheral lymph node (2%), bone (2%), and testis (2%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were 78.1±4% and 76.6±6%, respectively. In univariate analysis, hemoglobin level less than 10 g/dL, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) positivity and dialysis requirement at diagnosis were found to be important reverse predictor factors for EFS (P; 0.001, 0.001, 0.004, respectively). In multivariate analysis, hemoglobin level less than 10 g/dL and dialysis at diagnosis were found to be important reverse predictor factors for EFS (P; 0.0001). The EFS of our patients was lower than the values achieved with BFM-95 protocol in other centers. This study provides evidence that low hemoglobin level, CSF positivity and dialysis at diagnosis were important predictor factors for EFS in children with Burkitt lymphoma.
