To provide research information, clinical points of contact, and cancer treatment facilities to those patients of "Castleman's Disease" and the patients families.
Castleman's Disease is a rare disorder characterized by non-cancerous (benign) growths (tumors) that may develop in the lymph node tissue throughout the body (i.e., systemic disease [plasma cell type]). Most often, they occur in the chest, stomach, and/or neck (i.e., localized disease [hyaline-vascular type]). Less common sites include the armpit (axilla), pelvis, and pancreas. Usually the growths represent abnormal enlargement of the lymph nodes normally found in these areas (lymphoid hamartoma). There are two main types of Castleman's Disease: hyaline-vascular type and plasma cell type. The hyaline vascular type accounts for approximately 90 percent of the cases. Most individuals exhibit no symptoms of this form of the disorder (asymptomatic) or they may develop non-cancerous growths in the lymph nodes. The plasma cell type of Castleman's Disease may be associated with fever, weight loss, skin rash, early destruction of red blood cells, leading to unusually low levels of circulating red blood cells (hemolytic anemia), and/or abnormally increased amounts of certain immune factors in the blood (hypergammaglobulinemia).
A third type of Castleman's Disease has been reported in the medical literature. This type may affect more than one area of the body (multicentric or generalized Castleman's Disease). Many individuals with Multicentric Castleman's Disease may exhibit an abnormally large liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly). Researchers' opinions in the medical literature differ as to whether Multicentric Castleman's Disease is a distinct entity or a multicentric form of the plasma cell type of Castleman's Disease.
- Synonyms
Angiofollicular Lymph Node Hyperplasia
Angiomatous Lymphoid
Castleman Tumor
Giant Benign Lymphoma
Hamartoma of the Lymphatics
Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia
Medical Director
Bart Barlogie, MD, PhD
Myeloma Institute for Research
and Therapy
The University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas
International Medical Director
Norihiro Nishimoto, MD, PhD
Professor
Graduate School of Frontier
Biosciences
Osaka University; Osaka, Japan
Clinical Director
Frits vanRhee, MD, PhD, MRCP (UK),
FRCPath
Myeloma Institute for Research
and Therapy
The University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas
Associate Clinical Director
Corey Casper, MD, MPH
University of Washington; Virology
Research Clinic
Seattle, WA
CD Legal Counsel
Douglas M. Mancino
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Los Angeles, CA
CD Research Study Coordinator
Enric Morello
University of Washington; Virology
Research Clinic
Seattle, WA
Members at Large
W. Robert Lange, MD, MPH
Roche Pharmaceuticals
Jerry Zeldis, MD, PhD
Celgene Corporation
Affiliates
Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Frits vanRhee, M.D., Ph.D.
Little Rock, AR
Celgene Corporation
Summit, NJ
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Nikhil Munshi, M.D.
Boston, MA
Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Corey Casper, M.D., MPH
Seattle, WA
Osaka University
Norihiro Nishimoto, MD, PhD
Osaka, Japan
Roche Pharmaceuticals
Switzerland
Electronic mail
Castleman's
Webmaster