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In the United States, about 66,120 people (35,450 men and 30,670 women) are expected to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2008. These statistics include both adults and children. It is the fifth most common cancer in both men and women in this country (not counting skin cancers), accounting for about 4% of all cancers.
The average American's risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma during his or her lifetime is about 1 in 50. This risk may be altered for any individual by certain risk factors (listed in the next section).
Since the 1970s, incidence rates for non-Hodgkin lymphoma have nearly doubled. Some of this increase is due to AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but for the most part the reason for the rise is not known. In recent years, the increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases has been mainly in women.
Although some types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma are among the more common childhood cancers, over 95% of cases occur in adults. The type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma seen in children is often very different from that seen in adults. There is a separate American Cancer Society document on non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children.
The average age at diagnosis is in the 60s and around half of patients are older than 65. The risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma increases throughout life, and the elderly have the highest risk. The aging of the American population is likely to lead to an increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases during the coming years.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common in men than in women. African Americans and Asian Americans are less likely than whites to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 19,160 people in the United States (9,790 men and 9,370 women) will die of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2008.
Survival rates vary widely based on the type of lymphoma and stage of disease at the time of diagnosis. However, the overall 5-year relative survival rate for people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 63%, and 10-year relative survival is 51%.
The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Although many of these patients live much longer than 5 years after diagnosis, 5-year rates are used to produce a standard way of discussing prognosis. Five-year relative survival rates are calculated in ways that exclude the effect of diseases other than cancer on survival.. Of course, 5-year survival rates are based on patients first diagnosed and treated more than 5 years ago. Recent improvements in treatment often result in a better outlook for newly diagnosed patients.
Revised: 08/29/2007
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