Trends of Non‐Hodgkin Lymphoma Incidence Among Adults in the United States From 2000 to 2020

BACKGROUND: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) comprises a broad range of hematologic cancers originating from lymphoid tissues. It ranks among the 10 most frequently diagnosed cancers in the United States (US). AIMS: This study aims to analyze trends in the incidence of adult NHL in the US from 2000 to 2020, considering factors such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and histological subtypes. Additionally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these incidence trends was explored. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program were utilized to examine the age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) of NHL. Joinpoint regression modeling was applied to calculate the annual percent change (APC) and the average annual percent change (AAPC) of ASIRs over the period from 2000 to 2020. From 2000 to 2019, a total of 962 535 NHL were reported among all ages in the US. They were mostly B-cell NHL (93.59%), in Non-Hispanic Whites (73.31%), and individuals aged 70-79 (25.94%). The overall ASIRs were 55.58 (55.43, 55.73) for men and 36.00 (35.89, 36.11) for women. There was a notable decline in ASIRs following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to November 2020, with a percentage change of -10.52% (-11.60, -9.45). The overall AAPC for adult NHL was 0.45% (0.33, 0.62) in men and 0.38% (0.21, 0.57) in women, indicating a minimal yet significant increase. CONCLUSION: NHL incidence increased over 2000-2019. These trends in incidence rates exhibited variation across different races, sexes, age groups, and histological subtypes. COVID-19 led to a decrease in NHL incidence.