Gene expression profiling and outcome prediction in non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Gene expression profiling with microarrays has provided new insights into the molecular biology of tumors can that underlie differences in responses to therapy and patient outcomes. In diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, gene expression profiling has revealed at least 2 diseases that are strikingly different in their response to chemotherapy and the inhibition of critical oncogenic pathways. In follicular lymphoma, gene expression profiling showed that the host immune response to tumors is an important determinant of outcome and can strongly predict survival at the time of diagnosis. The application of immunologic therapies that modify the host immune response could have a major effect on survival in patients with follicular lymphoma. Thus, the application of gene expression profiling in non-Hodgkin lymphoma provides important prognostic information at the time of diagnosis and can be translated into therapeutic options that improve patient outcomes.