ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Epidemiology of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in Tyrol/Austria from 1991 to 2000

T Mitterlechner¹, M Fiegl², H Mühlböck³, W Oberaigner³, S Dirnhofer⁴, A Tzankov¹

¹ The Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
² The Natters Hospital, 6161 Natters, Austria
³ The Cancer Registry of Tyrol, Department of Clinical Epidemiology of the Tyrolean State Hospital, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
⁴ The University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr A Tzankov
Institute of Pathology, Innsbruck Medical University, Muellerstrasse 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; alexandar.tzankov{at}uibk.ac.at

Aims: To analyse the entity specific incidence and disease specific survival (DSS) of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) in Tyrol/Austria, 1991–2000.

Methods: Data from 1307 NHLs (excluding primary cutaneous lymphomas and monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance) were obtained. Current status was available for all patients. Except for 29 cases of small lymphocytic (CLL/SLL), lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), and myeloma (MM), which were diagnosed cytologically, diagnoses were reclassified on paraffin wax embedded archival material according to new World Health Organisation criteria. Sex specific age adjusted standardised incidence rates were computed using Segi’s population weighting. Annual incidence changes were calculated by weighted least square regression analysis. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by log rank test.

Results: NHL more frequently affected men (male/female ratio, 1.52). Mean age of occurrence was 61 and 66 years for men and women, respectively. The incidence rate of 14.3 remained constant. There was a significant increase in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and decrease in CLL/SLL in men, and a decrease in MM in women. Overall DSS was 64% during the mean follow up (43 months). Age, T-NHL,  light chain restriction in MM, and male sex in CLL/SLL were associated with poor prognosis. In B-NHL, DSS decreased in the following order: hairy cell leukaemia, marginal zone lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, ALL, DLBCL, CLL, MM, and mantle cell lymphoma.

Conclusions: The incidence of NHL in Tyrol has changed in the past decade, with a significant increase in DLBCL, decrease in CLL/SLL in men, and decrease in MM in women.

Abbreviations: ALCL, anaplastic large cell lymphoma; ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; BL, Burkitt lymphoma; B/T, B/T cell; CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia; DLBCL, diffuse large B cell lymphoma; DSS, disease specific survival; FACS, fluorescent activated cell sorter analysis; FL, follicular lymphoma; HCL, hairy cell leukaemia; LPL, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma; MCL, mantle cell lymphoma; MGUS, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance; MALT, mucosa associated lymphoid tissue; MM, multiple myeloma; MZL, marginal zone lymphoma; NHL, non-Hodgkin lymphoma; OS, overall survival; SLL, small lymphocytic lymphoma; TCRBCL, T cell rich B cell lymphoma; WHO, World Health Organisation

Keywords: epidemiology; non-Hodgkin lymphoma; prognosis

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