Molecular Pathogenesis of Primary Gastrointestinal Tract Lymphomas

Primary gastrointestinal lymphomas are rare though the incidence is significantly increased among adult patients in recent years. The majority of the patients present with symptoms overlapping with other gastrointestinal disorders and imaging findings are not specific. Therefore, histologic examination is necessary to establish the diagnosis. Insight into etiologies, molecular pathogenesis and critical signaling pathways in lymphomas including gastrointestinal lymphomas has significantly expanded within the last 3 decades. Given the increasing demand for incorporation of genetic data, the appropriate handling and processing of small endoscopic gastrointestinal biopsy samples of suspected lymphoma is becoming extremely crucial and at times challenging. The use of next generation sequencing with analysis of genes relevant to diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targets continues to have a significant promising impact on management of patients in lymphoid malignancies. In particular, the identification of constitutively activated pathways and the emergence of novel targeted medications predict that more effective therapies will be identified for these disorders in the coming years.