The burden of diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is expected to increase at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 0.90% from around 25,000 cases in 2019 to 27,000 cases in 2029 in the eight major markets (8MM*), according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s latest report: ‘Hodgkin Lymphoma: Epidemiology Forecast to 2029’ reveals that the increase is partly attributed to the moderately rising trend in incidence in the 8MM, combined with underlying demographic changes in the respective markets.

In the 8MM, classical HL (cHL) was the most common group of HL, followed by nodular lymphocyte predominant HL (NLPHL).

Bishal Bhandari, Senior Epidemiologist at GlobalData, comments: “cHL was the most common type with 90% of HL cases, whereas GlobalData’s research shows that cases of NLPHL were 10% of HL cases. The number of cases of cHL and NLPHL are forecast to grow steadily in the next 10 years.”

In the 8MM, most cHL cases were diagnosed in stage I/II. In 2019, 60% of cHL cases diagnosed were in stage I or stage II, out of which 20% of cases were favorable whereas 40% were unfavorable. The survival rate declines for the cases diagnosed in the unfavorable stage I/II of cHL.

Bhandari continues: “It is worrying that so many patients with cHL were diagnosed in the unfavorable stage I/II, as these patients require aggressive therapy to get the cancer under control. As such, there is a need for diagnostic tools to detect cHL at earlier stages and treatment priorities should also be aligned to address this aggressive form of cancer.”

The five-year diagnosed prevalent cases of cHL are also expected to increase in 2029 from the current level in 2019.

Bhandari adds: “The aging and increasing population suggests that the overall number of people with cHL will continue to increase even as the cHL death rate decreases.”

*8MM: US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan and urban China