Epidemiological Profile of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas Seen at Kinshasa University Clinics From 2012 to 2022.

INTRODUCTION

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous group of cancers whose global incidence has been increasing in recent years. In the DRC, the absence of a national cancer registry is a serious handicap to the epidemiological evaluation of NHL. There is still a lack of knowledge about this pathology among the population and health professionals. An observational survey of the country's hospitals is enough to note the absence of protocols for the management of NHL. The objective of this study is to determine the epidemiological aspects of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the DRC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted at the University Clinics of Kinshasa, from 2012 to 2022. The chi-square correlation test is used to compare proportions with the 95% confidence interval (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

Out of a total of 2070 cancer cases, 51 NHL cases were recorded, or 2.5%. 98% of the recorded cases were B-cell lymphomas compared to 2% T-cell lymphomas. 80% of cases were aggressive and 20% were indolent. 55% of cases were male versus 45% female, with a sex ratio of 1.2. The age of the patients ranged from 3 to 80 years, with a mean age of 42 years and a median of 45 years. The histological type DLBCL was predominant in 63% of cases. 59% of cases involved lymph nodes.

CONCLUSION

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous group of cancers whose global incidence has been increasing in recent years, with the outbreak of environmental and infectious factors. Knowledge of epidemiological aspects contributes to the improvement of the fight against NHL in the DRC.