Lymphoma in Asia

The epidemiology of lymphoma varied greatly among different ethnic groups in the world. The incidence and spectrum of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in Asian countries is different from that in Western countries and varies within Asia itself. An increasing incidence in lymphoma reported from Caucasian data is also seen in Asia, albeit at a lower rate. Key features of lymphoma epidemiology in Oriental countries include a lower incidence of HL, follicular lymphoma and in particular chronic lymphocytic leukemia, but a higher incidence of extranodal lymphoma and T and NK lineage disease. This may be related to differences in social economic conditions, genetic susceptibility and infective agents. Treatment results in Asian lymphoma cases do not seem to differ from Western counterparts. The epidemiology pattern is, however, likely to change with improved living conditions, longer life expectancy, Westernized living habits and the HIV epidemic.