Molecular pathogenesis of B cell malignancy: the role of BCL-6.

Human malignancies displaying a mature B cell phenotype include non-Hodgkin lymphoma, (NHL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma (MM). Analogous to most cancer types, the pathogenesis of these malignancies represents a multistep process involving the progressive and clonal accumulation of multiple genetic lesions affecting proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. However, several important features distinguish the mechanism and type of genetic alterations associated with NHL, CLL, and MM (Table 1).