Lymphoma survival patterns by WHO subtype in the United States, 1973–2003

With the incidence and prevalence of lymphoid neoplasms increasing, a comparison of survival patterns by subtype may provide critical clues for improving the disease burden. We conducted a comprehensive survival analysis for 254,702 lymphoid neoplasm cases diagnosed during 1973–2003 at 17 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification introduced in 2001. The best survival was observed for Hodgkin lymphoma among young patients, and the worst survival was observed among cases with plasma cell neoplasms, particularly plasma cell leukemia, in all racial groups. Being diagnosed at a lower stage without B-symptoms and a non-HIV/AIDS status favored survival for each type of lymphoma. Males typically had lower survival rates than females, but the opposite was observed for Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia among non-whites and multiple myeloma among non-Hispanic whites. Non-Hispanic whites typically had higher survival rates than blacks with the exception of multiple myeloma. Survival rates decline with age at diagnosis among elders, while the patterns were diverse by subtype among younger cases. The differences in lymphoma survival patterns suggest that distinct prognostic risk factors impact survival by subtype and that future research and public health interventions should address racial disparities in lymphoma survivorship.