Follicular lymphoma is the most common indolent or slow-growing form of NHL that arises from B-lymphocytes, making follicular lymphoma a B-cell lymphoma. Follicular lymphoma is the second most common type of NHL overall, accounting for roughly 20 to 25 percent of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas in the United States. It is considered an indolent lymphoma because it usually takes several years to develop. Only 10 percent to 20 percent of patients present with early stage follicular lymphoma (stages I and II). Although early detection is important for most cancers, most patients with follicular lymphoma are not diagnosed until stage III or IV and still do quite well. As its name suggests, follicular lymphomas originate in the lymphoid follicles and grow in a follicular pattern. Many effective treatments are available for patients with follicular lymphoma.
Traditionally, follicular lymphoma has been said to be a disease that usually is not considered to be curable, but patients can live for many years with this form of lymphoma. It is a disease that may be characterized by multiple relapses after responses to a variety of therapies. However, due to advances in treatments, the duration of remissions may span a decade or two in some patients, there are more options available today for patients with refractory and relapsed disease. Most follicular lymphomas respond very well to treatment. The median survival is about 8-15 years according to the National Cancer Institute. However, survival is increasing and a Stanford University school of medicine study showed that, since 1997, the median survival has increased to over 18 years. Some follicular lymphoma patients may never require active treatment and some physicians believe that some follicular lymphomas may be curable. In many patients – perhaps 30 to 50 percent, some indolent cells transform over time into a more aggressive form of lymphoma, such as Large Diffuse B-Cell.
