title: Relative frequency of non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes in selected centres in North Africa, the middle east and India: a review of 971 cases.
abstract: Comparative data regarding the distribution of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes in North Africa, the Middle East and India (NAF/ME/IN) is scarce in the literature. In this study, we evaluated the relative frequencies of NHL subtypes in this region. Five expert haematopathologists classified 971 consecutive cases of newly-diagnosed NHL from five countries in NAF/ME/IN. After review, 890 cases (91·7%) were confirmed to be NHL and compared to 399 cases from North America (NA). The male-to-female ratio was significantly higher in NAF/ME/IN (1·8) compared to NA (1·1; P< 0·05). The median ages of patients with low-grade (LG) and high-grade (HG) B-NHL in NAF/ME/IN (56 and 52 years, respectively) were significantly lower than in NA (64 and 68 years, respectively). In NAF/ME/IN, a significantly lower proportion of LG B-NHL (28·4%) and a higher proportion of HG B-NHL (58·4%) were found compared to NA (56·1% and 34·3%, respectively). Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was more common in NAF/ME/IN (49·4%) compared to NA (29·3%), whereas follicular lymphoma was less common in NAF/ME/IN (12·4%) than in NA (33·6%). In conclusion, we found significant differences in NHL subtypes and clinical features between NAF/ME/IN and NA. Epidemiological studies are needed to better understand the pathobiology of these differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
authors.forename: Anamarija M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology and Cytology, Hotel-Dieu, University Denis Diderot, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diebold
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Bharat N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Nathwani
authors.affiliation: Section of Pathology and Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, St. James University Hospital, West Yorkshire, UK.
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: MacLennan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Müller-Hermelink
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bast
authors.affiliation: Center for Collaboration on Research, Design and Analysis, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boilesen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: James O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Weisenburger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000453:epidemiology; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D017678:Sex Distribution
keywords: Middle East; Non-Hodgkin lymphoma; North Africa; epidemiology