Pulmonary Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT) Lymphoma

Pulmonary MALT lymphoma is a rare and typically slow-growing cancer that affects B cells in the mucous lining of your lungs. It may not cause symptoms and has higher survival rates than other types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Many of the organs in your body are lined with mucous membranes. These membranes play a role in your immune system, helping to fight off infections. This type of tissue is called mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT).

Your MALT is a part of your lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. Like your other lymphatic organs, your MALT can develop cancer. When cancer affects your lymphatic system, it’s known as lymphoma. Cancer that affects your MALT is known as MALT lymphoma.

Pulmonary MALT lymphoma is cancer that affects the MALT in your lungs. It affects certain types of white blood cells, known as B cells. Though rare, pulmonary MALT lymphoma is the most common type of B-cell lymphoma that affects your lungs.

Keep reading to learn more about this type of MALT lymphoma, including causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Talking about lymphoma

Doctors and other healthcare professionals use several different terms to refer to lymphoma. You may hear the following terms that also apply to pulmonary MALT lymphoma:

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL): About 11% of lymphomas feature a special kind of cell known as a Reed-Stenberg cell. Doctors call those cancers Hodgkin’s lymphomas. But most lymphomas, including pulmonary MALT lymphoma, are a type of NHL.

B-cell lymphoma: NHL can affect your B cells or T cells. Pulmonary MALT lymphomas belong to the 85% of NHL cases that are B-cell lymphomas.

Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL): The marginal zone is the space between your lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissue. MZL occurs when cancer affects your B cells in this space. MALT lymphomas are the most common type of MZL.