Malignant lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of malignancies that develop both in nodal and extranodal sites. The different tissues involved and the highly variable clinicopathological characteristics are linked to the association between the lymphoid neoplastic cells and the tissues they infiltrate. The immune system has developed mechanisms to protect the normal tissue from malignant growth. In this review, we aim to explain how T lymphocyte-driven control is linked to tumor development and describe the tumor-suppressive components of the resistant framework. This manuscript brings forward a new insight with regard to intercellular and intracellular signaling, the immune microenvironment, the impact of therapy, and its predictive implications. A better understanding of the key components of the lymphoma environment is important to properly assess the role of both B and T lymphocytes, as well as their interplay, just as two legendary boxers face each other in a heavyweight title final, as was the case of Ali versus Foreman.
Keywords: B lymphocytes; T lymphocytes; lymphocyte inter-talk; malignant lymphomas; tumor microenvironment.