title: Trends in hematological cancer in the elderly in Denmark, 1980-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of hematological malignancies is expected to increase as the Danish population ages within the next few decades. Despite this, data on the course of hematological cancers among the oldest patients are sparse with many intervention studies focusing on younger age groups. The aim of this study is to present Danish incidence and mortality rates among older patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationwide population-based study presenting the incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of NHL, MM, and AML with a focus on the elderly population in Denmark during the last few decades. Data were drawn from the NORDCAN database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Incidence rates of NHL, MM, CLL and AML were 10-50 times higher among the population aged 70 years or more than among the younger population. An increasing incidence with stable or decreased mortality rates was seen mainly among elderly patients with NHL during the last few decades, leading to increased survival and a greater prevalence of patients with NHL. Increased relative survival and prevalence could also be seen among elderly patients with MM and CLL, while the trends of the incidence rates were inconclusive for these diseases. Survival among patients with AML improved most notably in those aged below 70 years leading to an increased prevalence of AML patients predominantly in this age group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvements in diagnostics and treatment have led to increased survival and therefore prevalence of elderly patients with NHL, MM, CLL and AML during the past decades.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Odense University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Lukas F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Ocias
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Odense University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Odense University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vestergaard
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Odense University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Lone S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Friis
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Odense University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abildgaard
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Odense University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark ;|b Department of Clinical Epidemiology , Aarhus University Hospital , Aarhus , Denmark.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frederiksen
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000453:epidemiology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate