Epidemiology

In the UK, approximately 13,564 new cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) occur each year (based on data between 2017 and 2019).[4]

NHL represents 4% of all new cancer cases in the US.[5] It is the eighth most commonly diagnosed cancer.[5]​​​ In 2024, it is estimated that there will be approximately 80,620 new cases of NHL in the US, and 20,140 NHL-related deaths.[5]

NHL incidence increases with age; median age at diagnosis in the US is 68 years.[5] First-degree relatives of patients with NHL are at approximately 1.7-times increased risk of developing NHL.[6]

Men are more likely to be diagnosed with NHL than women (22.5 new cases per 100,000 vs. 15.5 new cases per 100,000, respectively).[5] In the US, NHL is more common in non-Hispanic white people than other race/ethnicities.[5] B-cell lymphomas predominate in western countries; T-cell/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoma subtypes are more common in people of Asian ancestry.[7][8]

Incidence of NHL subtypes

The following incidence rates (per 100,000 people) have been reported in the US:[9]

  • Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL): 6.9

  • Follicular lymphoma: 3.4

  • Mantle cell lymphoma: 0.8

  • Marginal zone lymphoma: 1.8

  • Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (anaplastic lymphoma kinase [ALK]+): 0.2

  • Burkitt's and Burkitt-like lymphoma (now termed high-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified [NOS]): 0.4

  • Primary central nervous system lymphoma: 0.3

  • Primary effusion lymphoma/body cavity lymphoma: <0.1

  • Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma: 0.1.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare NHL subtype, but cases are increasing.[10]​ As of June 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration identified 1264 cases of BIA-ALCL worldwide (mostly in association with textured implants) with 63 related deaths.[11]​ The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recognises approximately 1602 cases of BIA-ALCL worldwide (August 2024).[12]

One prospective cohort study carried out at a single US site reported BIA-ALCL incidence rate of 1 per 355 women with textured implants.[13]

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