Twenty-year incidence trend of hematologic malignancies in the Republic of Korea: 1999-2018

• Published in: Blood research Vol. 56; no. 4; pp. 301 - 314
• Main Authors: Park, Won-Ju, Park, Joo-Heon, Cho, Seunghyeon, Shin, Myung Geun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Hematology; Korean Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation; Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology; Korean Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis 31-12-2021; 대한혈액학회
• Subjects: Original; 병리학; Registries; Epidemiology; Statistics; Hematologic neoplasms; Neoplasms
• ISSN: 2287-979X; 2288-0011
• DOI: 10.5045/br.2021.2021187

In this study, we presented the national cancer statistics on the incidence of hematologic malignancies in the Republic of Korea (ROK) over a period of 20 years, from 1999 to 2018.
We obtained data on the incidence of hematologic malignancies using the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). For each hematologic malignancy, the number of cases, crude incidence rate, and age-standardized incidence rate were calculated, and the statistical trends were confirmed by Poisson regression and Joinpoint regression analysis.
All the investigated hematologic malignancies showed a statistically significant increase in incidence over 20 years. The 20-year trend of the age-standardized incidence rate was as follows: non-Hodgkin lymphoma [average annual percent change (AAPC)=2.26%,
-trend <0.05], leukemia (AAPC=0.94%,
-trend <0.05), myeloid leukemia (AAPC=1.44%,
-trend <0.05), multiple myeloma (AAPC=3.05%,
-trend <0.05), myeloproliferative disorders (AAPC=9.87%,
-trend <0.05), myelodysplastic syndrome (AAPC=7.59%,
-trend <0.05), malignant immunoproliferative diseases (AAPC=11.82%,
-trend <0.05), lymphoid leukemia (AAPC=2.21%,
-trend <0.05), and Hodgkin lymphoma (AAPC=4.04%,
<0.05).
It was confirmed that the incidence of hematologic malignancies has increased significantly in the ROK over the past 20 years. This study can be used as foundational data source for future studies. In addition, it can aid in the necessary actions of predicting future incidences and establishing future healthcare policies.