Dr Arora on the Declining Incidence of MCL in the United States

“The incidence of MCL as a whole is declining, [similar to] the overall [decline in the incidence of] non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These are really encouraging data that show us that [the incidence of] MCL, like [that of] other non-Hodgkin lymphomas, is continuing to trend downward in the US."

Ruby Arora, MD, a resident physician of internal medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, discussed findings from a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database analysis showing the overall declining incidence of MCL among people living in the United States (US), as well as ways to address racial disparities in the treatment of patients with MCL.

The first key takeaway from this research is that the incidence of MCL as a whole is declining, similar to the overall downward trend in the rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the US, Arora began. This updated SEER analysis collected data from 22 US states between 2000 and 2021. Although the incidence of MCL initially increased between 2000 and 2014, with an annual increase of +2.03%, the trend reversed starting in 2015. Since 2015, the Annual Percent Change analysis indicates an average annual decline of –1.427%, indicating that MCL incidence is declining over time. This is consistent with the overall downward trend in NHL rates, she explained.

Arora also highlighted the importance of focusing on disparities in care, specifically addressing gaps affecting Hispanic and American Indian patients. These groups make up a smaller portion of the total MCL population, making it vital that providers ensure that these patients receive the best care as quickly as possible, she stated. Corresponding subset analyses confirm the persistence of these disparities, noting that the 5-year relative survival rates (RSRs) in Hispanic and American Indian populations continue to be significantly lower than those of other groups, she continued. This disparity reflects continued issues in access to health care or a potentially worse prognosis for these patient populations, she emphasized. 

Overall, these data underscore the necessity of further research to determine why these specific disparities persist and how oncologists can effectively address these gaps in care for Hispanic and American Indian patients, she summarized. Furthermore, the analysis established that there is a dose-response relationship between survival and income. In contrast to the survival rates for Hispanic and American Indian patients, RSRs for Black and Asian/Pacific Islander patients have significantly improved, suggesting better access to care or other unrecognized factors underlying a more favorable prognosis in these groups, she concluded.