COMMENTARY Lymphoma Classification- The Gap Between Biology and Clinical Management Is Closing

EW INSIGHTS into the pathogenesis of lymphoid ma- N lignancies have been gained by novel techniques such as genetic, molecular, and immunologic methods and have not only broadened our knowledge about the origin and de-velopment of malignant lymphomas, but also have substan-tial clinical implications. Hence, distinct disorders can be defined more precisely and therapeutic strategies may be directed more specifically to well-defined lymphoma entities. The closing gap between a better understanding of lym-phoma biology and its translation into the clinical manage-ment of lymphoid malignancies requires an appropriate ad-aptation of histopathologic classification and clinical grouping and stimulates the reflection and reassessment of previously developed and newly proposed classification sys-tems. Over the past 40 years, the challenge of adaptation t