Sex differences in the incidence, mortality, and survival outcomes of lymphoma subtypes

Abstract Background The phenomenon of males exhibiting higher lymphoma incidence and mortality rates than females has been widely recognized, and many survival analyses of certain lymphoma subtypes have incorporated sex as a critical prognostic determinant. However, comprehensive research on these sex-based differences in lymphomas remains limited. Methods This study aimed to conduct an integrated population-based analysis of sex-based disparities across various lymphoma subtypes using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We assessed the age-adjusted incidence rates of cases in the SEER22 and incidence-based mortality rates in the SEER12. The rates were stratified according to subtype, sex, race/ethnicity (incidence and mortality), age at diagnosis, and year of diagnosis (incidence only). Furthermore, we compared the risks of all-cause mortality, cancer-specific mortality, and cardiovascular disease-related mortality based on sex in SEER17. Results Our findings revealed that males had a higher likelihood of developing lymphoma and exhibited higher mortality rates than females for most lymphoma subtypes. These sex-based disparities in incidence and mortality were relatively consistent across five racial/ethnic groups. However, sex-based disparities in cancer incidence varied among age groups, and a trend toward narrowing differences with increasing age was observed in nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL), mantle cell lymphoma, and Burkitt lymphoma. Over the past two decades, trends in sex-based disparities of lymphoma incidence have remained stable. Regarding survival outcomes, males faced an increased risk of death compared to females for most lymphoma subtypes, except for NLPHL. Conclusions The results of our study underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of sex-based disparities in lymphoma and may offer valuable guidance for future research to unravel the potential causes of these differences.