epidemiology

Last reviewed 01/2018

Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for less than 1% of all cancers in the UK (2010)

The annual incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in the UK is 2.7/100,000

  • in 2010, there were 1,866 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma in the UK
    • 1,072 (57%) in males and 794 (43%) in females, giving a male:female ratio of more than 13:10
  • there is a peak in incidence in young adults ages 20-34 years with a further peak observed >70 years.
  • over half (55%) of men and women diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma present at stage I or II. For around a sixth (17%) of patients, the stage is not known.

There is wide international variation in the incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma

  • the variation is similar for males and females
  • the highest rates are in Southern Europe and Northern America
  • in many parts of Asia and Africa, incidence rates for Hodgkin lymphoma are 1 per 100,000 population, with the world average being around 1.2 per 100,000 for males and 0.8 per 100,000 for females (1)

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