Epidemiology

Age-related incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma

With an incidence of only two to three new cases in 100,000 people in Germany every year, Hodgkin lymphoma is a relatively rare disease. In 2014, about 2200 people in total were newly diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Worldwide, the disease is even more rare with an incidence of only one new case in 100,000 people per year. Men get this disease more often than women (at a ratio of 3:2).

Regarding the age of affected patients in industrial countries, there are two peaks of incidence: most patients are diagnosed at an age between 20 and 30 years and a smaller number at over 65. However, Hodgkin lymphoma can generally occur in patients of all age classes. Compared to most other cancers, its age distribution is unusual and it is generally a rare disease, however, in young adults Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most common cancer diseases and the most common hematological malignancy.

The case distribution of the histological subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma is also age-related. The nodular sclerosing type is the most common subtype in young adults. In older patients, the mixed cellularity type and other subtypes occur slightly more often than nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma. It is also interesting to observe that Hodgkin lymphoma is more common in young adults from an economically stronger environment than in young adults with medium or low economic status.