What are the key statistics for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children?

Lymphoma (including both non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL] and Hodgkin disease) is the third most common cancer in children, accounting for about 8% of childhood cancers.

In children up to age 14, most lymphomas are non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with about 500 of these cancers being diagnosed in the United States each year. Including all children and teens up to age 19, the numbers of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas are about equal, and there are about 800 cases of NHL diagnosed each year.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is about 2 to 3 times more common in boys than in girls, and it is more common in white children than black children. The reasons for these gender and racial differences are not known.

Overall, the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children increases with age. It can occur at any age but is uncommon in children younger than 3.

Statistics on survival can be found in the “How is non-Hodgkin lymphoma staged in children?” section under “Survival rates for childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”