Mantle cell lymphoma is a type of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It is a cancer that forms in the cells of the lymph system. Mantle cell lymphoma is considered to be a low-grade and slow growing lymphoma.

The standard of care treatment is usually the chemotherapy combination called MCP, mitoxantrone, chlorambucil, and prednisolone.

The Journal of Clinical Oncology says that the addition of Rituxan (rituximab) to the chemo combination of MCP as initial therapy can improve long term survival rates.

Since Rituxan has proved to have anti-cancer responses in other forms of NHL, researchers continue to evaluate how it can work in the treatment of various types of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

This week, CBS News, the Washington Post, NY Times and USA Today shed a glaring light on people living with cancer. And Newsweek put the Livestrong wristband on its cover.

Pick up the April 9, 2007 issue of Newsweek to read the story How I live with Cancer.

Jonathan took the call on his cell phone at the Starbucks in New York's Penn Station...It was from a doctor I barely knew telling me that a CT scan-ordered after three weeks of worsening stomach pain-showed a large mass in my abdomen, with what she said was "considerable lymph node involvement." I rubbed my eyes and sensed the truth instantly: cancer, and not one that had been detected early. I was 46 years old and had not spent a night in the hospital since I was born. Nonsmoker. No junk food beyond the occasional barbecue potato chips. Jogged a couple of times a week. I was not remotely ready for this.

Later on in the article Johnathan tells his readers:

I have cancer, it's going to be bad, but I'll live until I'm 90. Probably not, but I turn 50 this year and, full of hope, recall that great line from "The Shawshank Redemption": "You can get busy living, or get busy dying." For me, it's no contest.

Hank Bauer, wounded World War II Marine and New York Yankees legacy, died on February 9 at the age of 84. The cause of death -- cancer.

Bauer, who managed the 1966 Baltimore Orioles to their first World Series title, was a three-time All-Star Yankees outfielder during his time with the team that won nine American League pennants and seven World Series titles in just 10 years. Bauer, a Yankees fixture from 1948-59, set the Series record with a 17-game hitting streak. His record still stands.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner says, "Hank Bauer is an emblem of a generation that helped shape the landscape of our country. He was a natural leader and a teammate in every sense of the word, and his contributions went well beyond the baseball field. His service to the Yankees, his country, and his family shows why I have been so privileged to call him a friend."

Bauer's baseball accomplishments, which also include playing two seasons with and later managing the Kansas City Athletics and scouting for the Yankees and Royals, are not his only claims to fame. He also earned two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts for his courageous dedication to the United States.

Enlisting in the Marines shortly after Pearl Harbor, Bauer was wounded in Okinawa when he was hit in the leg by shrapnel just 53 days after he arrived on the island with 64 other men. "Only six of us came out," said Bauer who signed with the Yankees minor league after his discharge and sported his Marine Corps crewcut throughout the baseball career that landed him with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and a young Roger Maris.

During the same week Bauer lost his life, two other players of his time also passed away -- Steve Barber, who pitched for Bauer in Baltimore and Lew Burdette, who played against the Yankees in the 1957 and 1958 World Series.

Bauer is remembered by many.

"I am truly heartbroken," says Berra. "Hank was a wonderful teammate and friend for so long. Nobody was more dedicated and proud to be a Yankee, he gave you everything he had."

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.

A type of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) called mantle cell lymphoma accounts for about five to ten percent of all lymphomas. According to an article recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Velcade (bortezobib) is an effective treatment option for patients with mantle cell lymphoma that has stopped responding to prior treatments.

Velcade is an agent known as a proteasome inhibitor. Proteasome inhibitors are drugs that block the action of proteasomes, proteins found in virtually all cells that regulate several aspects of cellular activity. By blocking the activity of proteasomes it can lead to the death of cancer cells. Bortezobib is the first therapeutic proteasome inhibitor to be approved for use in the United States.

Researchers conducted a clinical trial to evaluate Velcade in the treatment of fifteen patients with mantle cell lymphoma that has recurred or progressed following prior therapies. Anticancer responses occurred in 33 percent of patients and after over 13 months follow up, over half the patients were still surviving.