This article looks at the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival rate. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a very broad term for cancers affecting the lymphocytes in the body's immune system and varying the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival rate. The disease generally presents as painless, rubbery swollen lymph nodes in the neck, clavicle or groin, although lymphoma can originate virtually anywhere in the body—in lymph nodes or beyond them—because the lymphatic system, which carries lymphocytes, traverses the whole body.
According to statistics from the last forty years, lymphomas constitute one of the fastest growing cancer categories in the United States, and they are among the handful of most frequently diagnosed cancers in the country. However, this may not be a true representation of the frequency of the disease since more and more subtypes of NHL are identified every year, which is almost without doubt leading to more diagnoses.
Incidence and Mortality of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Each year, approximately 65,500 people in the US will receive a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and over 20,000 people will succumb to the disease annually.
The median age at diagnosis for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is 66. About two-thirds of all NHLs are diagnosed between the ages of 55 and 84, and there is a slightly higher incidence among men versus among women. The median age at death for this broad cancer is 75; about one-third of all deaths from NHL occur between the ages of 75 and 84.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Survival Rate by stage
According to data published by the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), one has reason to be optimistic on reviewing the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival rate. The Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival rates–expressed in terms of 5 year relative survival, meaning the percentage of people expected to be alive five years after initial diagnosis–are quite impressive when set against many other cancers, and it is evident that early detection favors long-term survival:
- -- Early-stage (I), localized disease: 81.1%
- -- Early-stage (I, II), regional disease: 70.5%
- -- Later-stage (III, IV), metastasized disease: 58.5%
These 5 year relative Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival rate reflect one of medicine's few major victories in the fight against cancer, and the field of effective treatment options is growing every year.
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