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Abby Lee Miller and Burkitt Lymphoma: Understanding a Fast-Growing Cancer
TV personality Abby Lee Miller shared that a mass pressing on her spinal cord was Burkitt lymphoma. Here is a calm, plain-language look at this cancer, drawn from the National Cancer Institute.
A plain-language summary based on public reporting and trusted sources, linked below.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
What she said in her own words
Abby Lee Miller taught dance and became known through the series Dance Moms. TODAY reported that in 2018 she had a serious health scare, and that in 2019 she shared on Instagram that she had emergency surgery for an infection in her spine, which led to a diagnosis. "This mass/tumor choking my spinal cord turned out to be Burkitt Lymphoma," she wrote at the time.
TODAY reported that she then had 10 rounds of chemotherapy and additional spine surgeries. Describing the recovery, she wrote in 2019: "I struggled thru months of physical therapy to learn to sit up again, to crawl and maybe with a miracle someday I'll walk."
This page covers what she said in these posts. It does not follow her health since, and it does not guess. Her disclosure is a doorway into a cancer most people have never heard of.
A fast-growing lymphoma
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes Burkitt lymphoma as an aggressive, meaning fast-growing, cancer that develops from B lymphocytes, a kind of white blood cell. It is most common in children, teens, and young adults. It may form in the abdomen, bone, bone marrow, skin, or the central nervous system, which is the brain and spinal cord.
NCI says Burkitt lymphoma is diagnosed when a tissue sample is checked and a certain change to the MYC gene is found. It has been linked to infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. In sub-Saharan Africa, NCI reports, Epstein-Barr virus-linked Burkitt lymphoma is far more common than in the United States.
Where it shows up
Lymph tissue runs through the whole body, so the first sign depends on where the cancer starts. A lump, swelling, or pressure can appear in different places. A mass in or near the spinal canal can press on the spinal cord, which is an emergency whatever the cause.
When to get help
Call 911 or go to an emergency room right away for:
- New back or neck pain together with weakness, numbness, or tingling in the legs
- Trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or numbness around the groin
- Belly swelling with severe pain or vomiting
Call your doctor or care team promptly for a lump that keeps getting bigger, drenching night sweats, or weight loss with no known reason. If you are in cancer treatment, call your care team right away for a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.
How it is treated
NCI's childhood lymphoma summary says treatment of newly diagnosed Burkitt lymphoma may include surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by combination chemotherapy, with or without a targeted therapy called rituximab. If the cancer comes back or does not respond, options may include other chemotherapy combinations, rituximab, and high-dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant. NCI's summary is written for children and teens. Treatment for adults is planned by each person's care team.
What the numbers show
SEER puts five-year relative survival for all non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 74.3 percent (2016-2022). That figure pools many very different subtypes, so it is background, not a Burkitt number. Every figure here describes groups studied in the past. None predicts one person's course.
Sources
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Put the story in context
Prevention, possible warning signs, screening, and diagnosis
This story relates to Lymphoma (Burkitt lymphoma). The information below is general: it does not reveal anything else about a public person’s health, and not every point applies to every cancer. Personal advice depends on age, symptoms, family history, exposures, and medical history.
Prevention and risk reduction
Not every cancer can be prevented. Avoiding tobacco, protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation, limiting alcohol, staying active, and receiving recommended HPV or hepatitis B vaccination can lower the risk of certain cancers. A risk factor is not a prediction or a cause in one individual.
Symptoms and possible early signs
Possible signs vary and are often caused by conditions other than cancer. Changes worth discussing include a new lump, unexplained bleeding or weight loss, a persistent cough, lasting bowel or bladder changes, a changing skin spot, or symptoms that persist or worsen. Some early cancers cause no symptoms.
Screening and early detection
Screening looks for certain cancers before symptoms begin. Recommended tests exist only for some cancers and depend on age and risk. Screening can have benefits and harms; it is not the same as evaluating a new symptom, and there is no single routine scan or blood test that reliably screens for every cancer.
How cancer is diagnosed
Diagnosis may involve a history and exam, imaging, laboratory tests, and often a biopsy. Pathology can identify the cancer type and may test biomarkers that guide treatment. Symptoms, screening results, tumor markers, or online stories alone cannot confirm cancer.
Learn about this story’s cancer topic
A public story may encourage questions, but it should not be used to estimate your risk or choose testing. Contact a healthcare professional about a persistent or concerning change. Seek urgent care for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.