The American Cancer Society estimates that 53,370 cases of NHL (28,850 men and 25,520 women) will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, and 19,410 people are expected to die of the disease. It is the fifth most common cancer in the US. A person’s risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma during their lifetime is about 1 in 50. 95% of Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occur in adults, 5% in children. The average age at diagnosis is 60 - the elderly have the highest risk of getting NHL. As the "baby boom" population gets older, the number of NHL cases is, unfortunately, expected to rise.
The US National Cancer Institute has a program for tracking the occurrences of cancer for statistical purposes. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute is the most authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival in the United States.
Resources
US National Cancer Institute
SEER Data -
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
American Cancer Institute -
Key Statistics for Non-Hodgkin's Disease
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For more information on Adult Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, please see the following pages:
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas
Lymphoma Classification and Typing
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Diagnosis
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Aggressive Lymphomas
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Indolent Lymphomas
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Treatment
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Resources
Childhood Lymphoma Information Pages:
Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Information Pages