For Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Subtypes, Risk Factors Identified

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

According to new research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, scientists from the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium have quantified the risk associated with various patient factors for 11 different non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes.

By analyzing 20 studies conducted internationally containing 17,471 patients with NHL and 23,096 without the disease, the researchers pooled the data to assess the risk factors for various NHL subtypes.

They found that among NHL subtypes, risks differed significantly for alcohol consumption, certain occupations, cigarette smoking, family history of leukemia and multiple myeloma, and medical history factors. On the other hand, the risks for developing an NHL subtype were relatively similar for allergies, family history of NHL, hay fever, recreational sun exposure, and socioeconomic status.

For those with autoimmune disease, patients with a history of an autoimmune disease that activates B-cells or T-cells were much more likely to develop B-cell lymphomas or T-cell lymphomas, respectively.

Although it has been known that there are various risk factors for developing NHL, this is the first large international study to definitively determine the risk factors associated with each subtype of NHL.