Mantle cell is a rare type of lymphoma that accounts for about 1 in 20 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphomas and about 3300 people are diagnosed in the United States per year. It is a cancer of the B-lymphocytes in the portion of lymph nodes called the mantle zone or outer edge of the lymph node. There are different patterns of mantle cell lymphoma that can be seen under the microscope: mantle zone, nodular, diffuse and blastic. The mantle zone type may be slow growing and very responsive to standard chemotherapy, unlike the other types. This type of lymphoma frequently spreads to the bone marrow and is not as responsive to chemotherapy as other types of lymphomas. Mantle cell lymphoma can occur at any age from the late 30's to old age, but is more common in people over 50. It is three times more common in men than in women.

The first signs of this disease is often painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin, caused by enlarged lymph nodes. Often more than one group of nodes is affected. The lymphoma may spread to various organs in the body such as bone marrow, liver or spleen. About 1 in 4 people will have the disease also appear in the stomach or bowel. Some other symptoms include loss of appetite, tiredness, night sweats, unexplained high temperatures and weight loss.

Diagnosis is made by removing an enlarged lymph node and having it biopsied. Additional tests such as x-rays, scans and bone marrow samples are used to get more information about the type of lymphoma and how far it has spread within the body. This information is helpful in deciding what treatment is most appropriate.