Hodgkin's Disease

Home » Hodgkin's Disease » Non-Hodgkin’s Disease vs. Hodgkin’s Disease

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Cancer
(Free Handout)

Non-Hodgkin's Disease vs. Hodgkin's Disease

Lymphomas are divided into two general categories: Hodgkin's disease (HD; also called Hodgkin's lymphoma), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In the United States, there has been a general decline in HD rates over the past 20 years, so that this disease now accounts for only 1% of all cancers. By contrast, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has increased by more than 70% during this period and now represents 4% of all cancers in the United States. It is the fifth most common malignancy in this country.

In 1999, over 56,800 new cases of NHL—32,600 men and 24,200 women—were diagnosed in the United States; and about 25,700 people (13,400 men, 12,300 women) died from this disease.

The majority of NHLs (95%) occur in adults 40 to 70 years of age; however, some NHL subtypes are among the most common cancers in children. More men than women develop NHLs, and rates are particularly high among men who live in locations of epidemic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), such as the San Francisco/Oakland area. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common in Caucasians than in African Americans, Japanese Americans, or Chinese Americans.

Throughout the coming year, an estimated 10,000 new cases of HD will be diagnosed. Among these cases, 60% of individuals will have unfavorable features or advanced stage disease, whereas the remaining 40% will have early stage disease. Men typically have higher HD rates than women. This difference is particularly noticeable in children and among people older than 35 years of age. HD is more common in Caucasians than in African Americans or Asians. HD affects both adults and children, although it is most common in two age groups: young adults (age 15 - 40) and older adults (age 55+). This age spread is more apparent in women, and may be related to hormonal factors. Only about 10% to15% of HD cases occur in children who are younger than 16 years of age. The disease is uncommon in children age 5 and under.

Table 1: Facts & Figures For HD versus NHL, 1987- 1991

	Hodgkin's Disease	Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Number of cases	3,540	17,568
Age-adjusted incidence* in 1991	2.9 cases per100,000 person-years	15.1 cases per100,000 person-years
Age at diagnosis (median)	33 years	65 years
Disease distribution by age: < 20 yrs 20-34 yrs 35-44 yrs 45-54 yrs 55-64 yrs 65-74 yrs 75-84 yrs > 84 yrs	12.7 % 40.3 % 16.1 % 8.2 % 7.4 % 8.3 % 5.4 % 1.5 %	1.8 % 7.1 % 10.4 % 11.7 % 17.9 % 25.7 % 19.4 % 6.0 %

*Based upon findings from the National Cancer Institute's SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) program, 1987 to 1991.

*Number of new cases occurring within a population of 100,000 individuals (corrected for age) (Adapted from: Canellos G. P., Lister T. A., and Sklar J. L.: The Lymphomas. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 1998).

Hodgkin's Disease Resources

	Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Cancer The more knowledge you have, the easier it is to make decisions about your cancer treatment. Print this free handout to take with you on your next office visit.	Advertising Disclaimer
	Join Our Hodgkin's Disease Forum Do you have a question, want to share medical advice, or just need to discuss your situation with someone else having a similar experience? The healthchannels forum is a resource for everyone to share and discuss their health and medical needs with others.
	Living with...Share your story Do you have a personal health story that you would like to share with others? As a source of free patient education, our goal is to provide our users with trustworthy information and support from others. That's why we've started our "Living with..." sections.
	Our "Living With..." support pages are a place to share experiences about living with a certain condition, disease, disorder, or illness and for loved ones of those dealing with health-related issues. Many people, especially when newly diagnosed, find comfort in knowing that others are having a similar experience. Help others by sharing your story. View stories already submitted. In honor of National Cancer Survivors Day on June 1, 2008, we asked you to share your stories about surviving cancer. Read the inspiring stories we received or share your survival story and help others in the fight against cancer.
Advertising Disclaimer To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Healthcommunities.com's healthchannels toolbar. Advertising Disclaimer