RECENT TRENDS IN THE INCIDENCE OF LYMPHOMAS IN KUWAIT

All cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) r eported to the Kuwait Cancer Registry between 1980-1989 were analyzed. Age specific and age standardized incidence rates were calculated for Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti males and females for the two periods of 1980 -1984 and 1985-1989, and compared to detect short term changes. The st udy of 153 cases of HD and 325 cases of NHL in 1980-1984 and 213 cases of HD and 338 cases of NHL in 1985-1989 showed that HD incidence was stable in the two periods, the mixed cellularity subtype frequency and incidence declined, while the frequency and the incidence of nodular sclerosis increased significantly in the second period. These changes were most significant in the non-Kuwaiti males. The NHL incidence decl ined significantly in the 1985-1989 period. The incidence of low grade and intermediate grade MIL declined in the period of 1985-1989. The h igh grade NHL frequency increased, however, the annual incidence rate increase was not significant. The change in the HD subtypes may probab ly be related to the improvement in the socio-economic condition. The higher proportion of high grade lymphomas may be related to the popula tion structure in Kuwait and is not related to the acquired immunodefi ciency syndrome.