The rise in incidence of lymphomas in Europe 1985-1992

A collaborative study was carried out of the descriptive epidemiology of th e lymphomas from seven countries across Europe in the period 1985-1992. Car eful attention was paid to sources of information and the data quality in c lose collaboration with expert histopathologists. The data were classified as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD). An attempt was made to put the data into a modified version of the Revised European Americ an Lymphoma (REAL) classification. We observed an overall rise in total NHL throughout the time period in all European countries but no such trend in HD. The increase in NHL overall being 4.2% per annum, representing an incre ase of 4.8% in males and 3.4% in females per annum, was only marked in midd le and old age. Such increases were observed in all participating areas exc ept in Burgundy. Different countries, however, have different base rates, t he rates being highest in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. The analysis by subcategory classification suggested that the increase in NHL was confined to the follicle centre cell type, extranodal B-cell, nodal T-cell and nodal lymphomas not otherwise specified, categories. These new observations pres ent a picture of real increase in case incidence with no obvious explanatio n. The increases in NHL do not appear to be due solely to better diagnoses. Pending other explanations or refutation, these present a compelling pictu re of an inexorable rise in incidence of this disease. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd. All rights reserved.