Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) Key Facts

• There are many sub-types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but they can all be put into one of two broad categories: 
  
  • high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma, where the cancer develops quickly and aggressively
  • low-grade or indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma, where the cancer develops slowly and there may be no symptoms for many years

section reviewed 14/01/13
section updated 08/06/12

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the 6th most common cancer in the UK – it is the 5th most common cancer in males and the 7th in females.
• Around 12,200 people were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the UK in 2010, which is around 33 people every day.
• Around 6 in 10 of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases are diagnosed in people aged 65 and over.
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence rates in Britain are almost three times higher now than they were in the mid-1970s.
• In Great Britain incidence rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in people aged 75 and over have almost quadrupled since the mid-1970s.
• In the UK around 90 children under the age of 15 were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010.
• It is estimated that in Europe (EU-27) there were around 74,000 new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2008.
• Worldwide, it is estimated that there were around 356,000 new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2008.

Read more in-depth non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence statistics.

section reviewed 14/01/13
section updated 14/01/13

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients are now twice as likely to survive their disease for at least 10 years as those diagnosed in the early 1970s.
• In the UK, more than 6 in 10 people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma will survive the disease for at least five years.
• Half of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients will survive their disease for at least ten years.
• Survival rates for non-Hodgkin lymphoma are higher for younger patients. Around 8 in 10 patients aged under 50 will survive the disease for at least five years, compared with around a third of patients aged 80 and over.

Read more in-depth non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival statistics.

section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 08/06/12

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the 10th most common cause of cancer death in the UK.
• Around 4,400 people died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 in the UK, that is around 12 every day.
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the 10th most common cause of cancer death in men in the UK, and is the 7th most common cause of cancer death in women in the UK with around 2,000 deaths in 2010 each.
• Almost 90% of all deaths from non-Hodgkin lymphoma occur in people aged 60 and over.
• It is estimated that there were more than 31,000 deaths from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Europe (EU-27) in 2008.
• Worldwide it is estimated that there were more than 191,000 deaths from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2008.

Read more in-depth non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality statistics.

section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 08/06/12

• Various infections increase the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including Helicobacter pylori, HIV, hepatitis C virus, Epstein-Barr virus and human T-cell lymphotropic virus.
• More than 4% of cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the UK each year are linked to infections.
• Drugs given to suppress the immune system, for example following organ transplant, increase the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• A family history of non-Hodgkin lymphoma almost doubles risk.
• Occupational exposure to pesticides and benzene are linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Read more about the causes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 08/06/12

1. European age-standardised    2. Adults diagnosed    3. Latest statistics available

More detailed statistics on non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be found using these links: incidence, survival, mortality, risk factors and staging. 

section reviewed 22/02/13
section updated 14/01/13