High-grade B-cell lymphoma with a quadruple-hit genetic profile including concurrent MYC, BCL2, BCL6, and CCND1 gene rearrangements

Lab Med. 2024 Sep 4;55(5):649-654. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmae017.

Abstract

Several reports of concurrent MYC, BCL2, BCL6, and CCND1 rearrangements in high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) have been recently described. Herein, we aimed to delineate the scope of this entity through a review of HGBL with a "quadruple-hit" genetic profile identified at our institution. We performed a retrospective review (2015-2023) at our institution of B-cell lymphoma (BCL) cases that were evaluated with concurrent MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 break-apart and IGH::MYC and IGH::CCND1 dual-color dual-fusion fluorescence in situ hybridization studies. Of 203 cases meeting inclusion criteria, 2 (1%) with a quadruple-hit genetic profile were identified. Case 1 represented a 59-year-old female with widespread lymphadenopathy and a diagnosis of HGBL who exhibited primary refractoriness to dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) chemotherapy. Case 2 represented a 58-year-old male with mediastinal and abdominal lymphadenopathy and a diagnosis of large BCL who died from disease after 1 cycle of DA-EPOCH-R chemotherapy. Similarly, a literature review of 7 previously reported cases of HGBL with a quadruple-hit profile also demonstrated aggressive disease behavior. Our study adds 2 new cases to the rarely encountered quadruple-hit HGBL, and a brief meta-analysis of the 9 available cases indicates aggressive disease behavior conferred by this constellation of genetic events.

Keywords: BCL2; BCL6; CCND1; MYC; fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH); high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL).

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Cyclin D1 / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Rearrangement* / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell* / drug therapy
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell* / genetics
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell* / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6* / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6
  • BCL6 protein, human
  • Cyclin D1
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • BCL2 protein, human
  • CCND1 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • MYC protein, human