Prevalence and demographic characteristics of Hodgkin lymphoma in Colombia, according to the Ministry of Health data

Abstract

Introduction: Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for approximately 10% of lymphoma cases. The epidemiology of Hodgkin lymphoma has always been a source of fascination to researchers due to its heterogeneous characteristics. Since 1993 in Colombia, the coverage of health services has been extended, and there is an extensive registry of health care processes through the Social Protection Comprehensive Information System. Objectives was To calculate the prevalence and describe the demographic characteristics of Hodgkin lymphoma in Colombia. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study with data from the Comprehensive Social Protection Information System of the Ministry of Health of Colombia between 2015 and 2019. Results: 4,396 cases were identified, and a prevalence of 8.9 per 100,000 inhabitants; of these, 55% are men, with a male:female ratio of 1.2:1, with a higher prevalence in the 75-79 years age group. The departments with the highest prevalence are Risaralda (13.33), Bogotá D.C. (13.30), Boyacá (11.9), Quindío (11.49) and Santander (11.44). Conclusions: The prevalence is higher than that reported in the population-based cancer registries in Brazil (5.2), Colombia (5.4), Argentina (8.4), Portugal (8.4) Spain (11.1), France (12.4), United Kingdom (13.9), Italy (13.9), per 100,000 inhabitants between 2016 and 2020. The possibility is proposed that the differences found are due to the lack of population-based cancer registries in Colombian cities in which there is a higher prevalence of this entity and greater aging of the population.