Trends in excess mortality in follicular lymphoma at a population level

Background: Since the 1990s and since the development of humanised monoclonal antibodies in 1998, the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma has undergone profound changes. Follicular lymphoma (FL) was the first to benefit from this treatment, and several clinical trials have shown a significant improvement in overall survival, but little information is available at a population level. Objective: Our objective was to estimate changes in FL-specific mortality at a population level, with an appropriate methodology. Methods: Two French retrospective population-based studies on FL were conducted, one from 1995 to 2004, in 1477 patients, and one from 1995 to 2010, in 451 patients. Trends in excess mortality rates (EMRs) according to age, sex, Ann Arbor stage and year of diagnosis were evaluated using the flexible model of Remontet et al. Results: Trends in the EMR differed according to age at diagnosis and was higher in advanced stage (III, IV) in patients older than 65 yr. The EMR decreased linearly from 1995 to 2010. This decrease was more marked for advanced stages. Conclusion: FL-specific mortality decreased over the years of diagnosis, and the difference according to the lymphoma stage diminished in more recent years. However, progress in the management of FL was not able to erase age-related differences.