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CC BY 4.0 · Brazilian Journal of Oncology 2026; 22: s00451815741
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1815741
Case Report
Clinical Oncology

Palatine Tonsil Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Pregnancy: Case Report

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Funding The authors declare that they did not receive funding from agencies in the public, private or non-profit sectors to conduct the present study.
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Abstract

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common and aggressive subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and its occurrence during pregnancy or the postpartum period is rare. Management in this setting is challenging, due to risks to the mother and infant. We herein report the case of a 37-year-old woman diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the palatine tonsil during the first postpartum week following a twin pregnancy. The disease was staged as IIBE, with nodal and extranodal involvement. Treatment consisted of six cycles of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, combined with prophylactic intrathecal methotrexate, cytarabine, and dexamethasone. Chemotherapy required early cessation of breastfeeding to ensure maternal safety and prevent neonatal exposure to cytotoxic agents. A complete metabolic response was confirmed by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography. At 60 months of follow-up, the patient remains disease-free. This case highlights the therapeutic challenges of managing aggressive lymphomas in the postpartum setting.

Keywords

diffuse large B-cell lymphoma - postpartum - palatine tonsil - chemotherapy - breastfeeding

Authors' Contributions

MBA: collection and assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript writing, conception and design, final approval of the manuscript, and provision of study materials or patient care; ABAS: collection and assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript writing, conception and design, and final approval of the manuscript; and AAS: collection and assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript writing.




Publication History

Received: 01 May 2025

Accepted: 06 November 2025

Article published online:
19 March 2026

© 2026. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Marcelo Bernardini Antunes, Adriana Bernardini Antunes Scanavini, Arthur Antunes Scanavini. Palatine Tonsil Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Pregnancy: Case Report. Brazilian Journal of Oncology 2026; 22: s00451815741.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1815741
 

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