Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality statistics

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the 11th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 3% of all cancer deaths (2017-2019).[1-4]

In females in the UK, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the 11th most common cause of cancer death (3% of all female cancer deaths). In males in the UK, it is the 13th most common cause of cancer death (3% of all male cancer deaths).

44% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma deaths in the UK are in females, and 56% are in males (2017-2019).

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality rates (European age-standardised Open a glossary item (AS) rates) in the UK are significantly lower in females than in males (2017-2019).

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality rates (European age-standardised Open a glossary item (AS) rates) for persons are similar to the UK average in all the UK constituent countries.

For non-Hodgkin lymphoma, mortality rates do not vary between UK constituent nations however incidence rates do vary between the UK constituent nations.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (C82-C86), Annual Average Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 2017-2019

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Deaths 1,807 197 106 57 2,168
Crude Rate 6.4 7.1 6.7 6.0 6.4
AS Rate 6.1 6.6 5.8 6.3 6.2
AS Rate - 95% LCL 6.0 6.1 5.2 5.4 6.0
AS Rate - 95% UCL 6.3 7.1 6.5 7.3 6.3
Male Deaths 2,310 219 151 61 2,741
Crude Rate 8.4 8.3 9.8 6.6 8.4
AS Rate 9.8 9.6 10.4 8.7 9.8
AS Rate - 95% LCL 9.6 8.9 9.4 7.5 9.6
AS Rate - 95% UCL 10.1 10.3 11.3 10.0 10.0
Persons Deaths 4,116 416 257 118 4,908
Crude Rate 7.4 7.7 8.2 6.3 7.4
AS Rate 7.8 7.9 7.8 7.4 7.8
AS Rate - 95% LCL 7.6 7.5 7.3 6.6 7.7
AS Rate - 95% UCL 7.9 8.3 8.4 8.1 7.9
95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate Open a glossary item

See also

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence statistics by sex and UK region

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival statistics

Cancer mortality statistics for common cancers in the UK

Hodgkin lymphoma mortality statistics

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, C82-C86.

The term non-Hodgkin lymphoma describes a large group of lymphoma subtypes, which differ substantially in their cellular origin and clinical behaviour. The subtypes can be broadly divided into B-cell lymphomas, T-cell lymphomas, and lymphoproliferative disorders not otherwise specified. B-cell lymphomas can be further divided into five main types: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, marginal zone lymphomas, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and Burkitt lymphoma. It is important to recognise the variation between these subtypes when interpreting statistics on NHL as a whole. The Haematological Malignancy Research Network provides detailed incidence statistics for NHL subtypes.

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Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality is strongly related to age, with the highest mortality rates being in older people. In the UK in 2017-2019, on average each year around 6 in 10 deaths (59%) were in people aged 75 and over.[1-4] This largely reflects higher incidence and lower survival for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in older people.

Age-specific mortality rates rise steadily from around age 45-49 and more steeply from around age 60-64. The highest rates are in the 85 to 89 age group for females and the 90+ age group for males. Mortality rates are significantly lower in females than males in a number of (mainly older) age groups. The gap is widest at age 40 to 44, when the age-specific mortality rate is 2 times lower in females than males.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (C82-C86), Average Number of Deaths per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 2017-2019

See also

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence statistics by age

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival statistics by age

Hodgkin lymphoma mortality statistics

Cancer mortality statistics by age for all cancers

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, ICD-10 C82-C86.

The term 'non-Hodgkin lymphoma' describes a large group of lymphoma subtypes, which differ substantially in their cellular origin and clinical behaviour. The subtypes can be broadly divided into B-cell lymphomas, T-cell lymphomas, and lymphoproliferative disorders not otherwise specified. B-cell lymphomas can be further divided into five main types: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, marginal zone lymphomas, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and Burkitt lymphoma. It is important to recognise the variation between these subtypes when interpreting statistics on NHL as a whole. The Haematological Malignancy Research Network provides detailed incidence statistics for NHL subtypes.

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Non-Hodgkin lymphoma age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item rates for females and males combined increased by 74% in the UK between 1971-1973 and 2017-2019.[1-4] The increase was of a similar size in females and males.

For females, non-Hodgkin lymphoma AS mortality rates in the UK increased by 66% between 1971-1973 and 2017-2019. For males, non-Hodgkin lymphoma AS mortality rates in the UK increased by 79% between 1971-1973 and 2017-2019.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2007-2009 and 2017-2019), non-Hodgkin lymphoma AS mortality rates for females and males combined decreased by 7%. In females AS mortality rates decreased by 9%, and in males rates decreased by 7%.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (C82-C86), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, UK, 1971-2019

For most cancer types, mortality trends largely reflect incidence and survival trends. For example, rising mortality may reflect rising incidence and stable survival, while falling mortality may reflect rising incidence and rising survival.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality rates have varied between age groups in females and males combined in the UK since the early 1970s.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have decreased by 78%, in 25-49s have decreased by 52%, in 50-59s have decreased by 28%, in 60-69s have increased by 11%, in 70-79s have increased by 115% and in 80+s have increased by 321%.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (C82-C86), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Persons Population, By Age, UK, 1971-2019

See also

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence trends over time

Hodgkin lymphoma mortality trends over time statistics

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival trends over time

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk factors

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1971-2019, C82-C86.

The term 'non-Hodgkin lymphoma' describes a large group of lymphoma subtypes, which differ substantially in their cellular origin and clinical behaviour. The subtypes can be broadly divided into B-cell lymphomas, T-cell lymphomas, and lymphoproliferative disorders not otherwise specified. B-cell lymphomas can be further divided into five main types: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, marginal zone lymphomas, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and Burkitt lymphoma. It is important to recognise the variation between these subtypes when interpreting statistics on NHL as a whole. The Haematological Malignancy Research Network provides detailed incidence statistics for NHL subtypes.

Last reviewed:

It is projected that the average number of deaths from non-hodgkin lymphoma in the UK every year will rise from around 5,300 deaths in 2023-2025 to around 6,000 deaths in 2038-2040.[1]

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality rates are projected to fall by 12% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 7 deaths per 100,000 people on average each year by 2038-2040.[1] This includes a similar decrease for males and females.

For females, non-hodgkin lymphoma European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary itemmortality rates in the UK are projected to fall by 13% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 5 deaths per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1] For males, AS rates are projected to fall by 11% between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 9 deaths per 100,000 per year by 2038-2040.[1]

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (C82-C86), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Mortality Rates, by Sex, UK, 1975-2040

Download the data table (xlsx)

See also

Find out how these projections were calculated

Mortality trends over time for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Projections of mortality for all cancers combined

Download the projections data table

References

Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, February 2023. Age-period-cohort modelling approach described here, using 2020-based population projections (Office for National Statistics) and observed cancer mortality data (1975-2018).

About this data

Projections are based on mortality data from 1975-2018 (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland); the above figure presents all UK data from 1975-2018 (observed) and 2019-2040 (projected). Number of deaths and age-standardised rates are presented as annual averages for each 3-year rolling period. ICD-10 codes C82-C86.

Projections are based on observed mortality rates and therefore implicitly include changes in cancer risk factors, diagnosis and treatment. Confidence intervals are not calculated for the projected figures. Projections are by their nature uncertain because unexpected events in future could change the trend. It is not sensible to calculate a boundary of uncertainty around these already uncertain point estimates. Changes are described as 'increase' or 'decrease' if there is any difference between the point estimates.

More on projections methodology

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  • Mortality rates for lymphomas and leukaemias (which includes non-Hodgkin lymphoma) in the UK in females are 10% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and rates in males are similar in the most deprived quintile compared with the least.
  • Around 740 deaths from lymphomas and leukaemias each year in the UK are linked with deprivation (around 350 in females, and around 390 in males).

Further mortality by deprivation statistics and charts can be found on the Cancer Research UK's Cancer Statistics Data Hub.

Last reviewed:

Cancer stats explained

See information and explanations on terminology used for statistics and reporting of cancer, and the methods used to calculate some of our statistics.

Cancer stats explained

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