In some types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) there is a change in the genetic blueprint of the lymphoma cancer cells. This 'genetic blueprint' is made up of genes, the genetic building blocks that carry the information that we use to make every cell in our body. Genes affect how our bodies grow, work and look. All of this information is stored on 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus inside all the cells in our bodies. Each pair of chromosomes is numbered, 1 to 22, with the last two chromosomes being the sex chromosomes X and Y.

There are a number of different genetic changes that can be seen in lymphoma cells. Sometimes there may be an extra copy of a chromosome. In other cases pieces of a chromosome may be removed, or duplicated, or even moved from one chromosome to another.

One of these changes is the ‘T eight fourteen’ which is written t(8;14). Here a piece of chromosome 8 has been swapped with a piece of chromosome 14.  Because of this the cells produce too much of a gene called bcl-2. Bcl-2 is a gene that prevents cells dying and the overproduction of bcl-2 leads to long survival of these lymphoma cells.

Patients with a t(8;14) usually have a particular type of NHL called follicular lymphoma.