Abstract
Over 3,000 cases of Hodgkin's Disease diagnosed between 1984-93 were used to examine incidence and time trends. These data are part of the Leukaemia Research Fund's specialist Data Collection Study, which is the only large, population-based data set of its type in Europe. The age specific incidence curves showed different patterns for nodular sclerosis contrasted with all other subtypes combined (non-nodular sclerosis). For nodular sclerosis, there was a female excess for young adults, while for non-nodular sclerosis a gradual rise in incidence with age in both sexes was observed. Incidence varied over time, showing a complex pattern with a decreasing trend in males in all Rye-subtypes and no significant change among females diagnosed with nodular sclerosis. These complex patterns of change are different from those seen in other countries. It is concluded that the results provide clear evidence of the heterogeneity of Hodgkin's disease between the sexes and between subtypes, which should be taken into account in future studies.