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REVIEW ARTICLE

Epidemiology and etiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a review

Pages 258-271 | Received 16 Nov 2005, Published online: 26 Aug 2009
 

Abstract

The etiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as its global dramatic rise in incidence during the past decades, remains largely unexplained. However, there is increasing awareness that this group of malignancies may entail not only clinical, morphological and molecular heterogeneity, but also considerable variations in terms of etiologic factors. In this review, epidemiologic patterns are summarized as well as current evidence of associations between various known or suspected risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma overall or for any of its subtypes. Central pathogenetic mechanisms include immunosuppression, especially in relation to T-cell function and loss of control of latent EBV infection, and chronic antigen stimulation. Some degree of familiar aggregation also implies a role for genetic susceptibility. A number of recent investigations of non-Hodgkin lymphoma etiology will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the causes of these malignancies.

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