A Snapshot of Lymphoma

Incidence and Mortality

Lymphoma, including Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), represents approximately 5 percent of all cancers in the United States. Although Hodgkin lymphoma is the better-known form, the incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma is much lower than that of NHL.

Due to improvements in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma, mortality has decreased by nearly 50 percent over the past 25 years. Over the same period, incidence has remained relatively steady.

NHL incidence had increased over the past three decades but has remained relatively steady since 2004. NHL mortality has declined since 1997. Incidence and mortality for NHL are higher for whites than for African Americans and people of other racial/ethnic groups in the United States.

Risk factors for both Hodgkin lymphoma and NHL include infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or the Epstein-Barr virus. Having an inherited immune disorder or autoimmune disease is a risk factor for NHL, and infections with Helicobacter pylori or human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 (HTLV-1) increase risk for certain types of NHL. Standard treatments for lymphoma are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and watchful waiting.

It is estimated that approximately $12.1 billion¹ is spent in the United States each year on lymphoma treatment.

Trends in NCI Funding for Lymphoma Research

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) investment² in lymphoma research increased from $129.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 2007 to $139.8 million in FY 2011. In addition, NCI supported $23.2 million in lymphoma research in FY 2009 and 2010 using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)³.

Examples of NCI Activities Relevant to Lymphoma

• The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network conducts large multi-institutional clinical trials that address issues in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to establish the best treatment strategies.
• The Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project is examining the gene expression profiles of lymphoid malignancies to refine their classification in molecular terms. Another goal is to use gene expression data for prognosis and treatment selection.
• Members of the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph), a group of epidemiologists researching the causes of NHL, share data and biological samples to pool data across studies and undertake collaborative research.
• NCI's Strategic Partnering to Evaluate Cancer Signatures (SPECS) program explores how information from molecular studies can be used to improve the care and outcomes of cancer patients. One SPECS project is refining and validating diagnostic and prognostic molecular signatures for the major subclasses of NHL.
• The Integrative Cancer Biology Program combines experimental and clinical research with mathematical modeling to gain new insight into cancer biology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. One center is developing computational models for B-cell lymphoma.
• Five lymphoma-specific Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) are moving results from the laboratory to the clinical setting. SPORE researchers are evaluating novel lymphoma therapies (including immunotherapies), studying lymphoma biology and epidemiology, and identifying lymphoma biomarkers.

Selected Advances in Lymphoma Research

• Clinical trial results showed durable responses to the targeted drug romidepsin in patients with relapsed peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Published February 2011. [PubMed Abstract]
• Researchers found an association between certain immune markers in the blood and risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Published June 2011. [PubMed Abstract]
• A whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed a number of novel mutations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, paving the way for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Published February 2012. [PubMed Abstract]
• Preliminary results from clinical trials presented at a national scientific meeting indicate that the experimental drug ibrutinib may benefit patients with a subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who are resistant to other treatments. Reported March 2012.
• See this PubMed list of selected free full-text journal articles on NCI-supported research relevant to lymphoma. You can also search PubMed for additional scientific articles.