Where is leukemia found in the world

In both and , the lowest incidence was found among people aged 10—14 years Fig. At the national level, the high incidence of AML was mostly observed in Europe. The highest incidence was found in the UK 4. Most of these countries were located in the Middle East and Europe.

CML is diagnosed relatively less often compared to other types of leukemia Table 1 ; Fig. Globally, the number of CML cases increased from CML is rarely diagnosed among children and young adults. The incidence of CML decreased among all age groups between and Fig. At the national level, the highest incidence of CML was found in Ethiopia 1. Worldwide, the number of cases for other leukemias increased from The ASIR decreased by 0.

As shown in Fig. Between and , 31 countries or territories experienced a significant increase in the ASIR of other leukemias. In contrast, countries or territories experienced a significant decrease in the ASIR of other leukemias.

In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the secular leukemia incidence trends at the global, regional, and national level. The incidence of leukemia was heterogeneous among people in different age groups and from country to country.

Globally, CML was rarely diagnosed compared to the other three main types of leukemia. The changing incidence trends for the four major types varied worldwide. For example, the incidence of ALL decreased in most countries, whereas the incidence increased in several Asian and African countries. Conversely, the incidence of CLL increased in most countries. The decreasing trends were only seen in a few developed countries e.

The international variations in leukemia incidence and its changing trends not only mirror the effectiveness of previous prevention strategies but also indicate that updated and tailored prevention strategies have been established.

Although the risk factors contributing to leukemia have been extensively investigated, the current understanding of leukemia tumorigenesis remains limited. Previous studies have reported that exposure to ionizing radiation, herbicides and pesticides, and radon is associated with an increased risk of leukemia [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].

Moreover, the development of leukemia has been partly ascribed to genetic risk factors. CML is a clonal haemopoietic stem cell disorder characterized by a reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22 [ 27 ]. Despite the prior efforts, the 5-year survival rates of leukemia are not high, especially among high-risk patients and in developing countries [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]. In standard medical and oncology textbooks, CLL is considered incurable [ 32 ].

These strategies have proven to be less successful. In our study, we observed a significant decrease in leukemia incidence over the past three decades, mainly in developed countries. For example, the incidence of all types of leukemia decreased in Australia. The decreases may have been at least partly driven by the following: 1 reducing the exposure to environmental risk factors, such as chemicals, particularly among children and pregnant women; 2 abstaining from high-risk parental behaviors, such as cigarette smoking; 3 increasing the intake of folate and vitamin supplementation during the preconception period or pregnancy; and 4 expanding the genetic screening for high-risk germline mutations.

However, we also observed a significant increase in leukemia incidence in some developing countries. Such increases might be mainly explained by the continuous improvement of healthcare facilities and the quality of cancer surveillance systems in these countries. More cancer cases were diagnosed and recorded. On the other hand, the increases also suggest that leukemia is a hard-to-ignore public health concern in the relevant countries. More interventions are therefore needed.

In addition, we also observed a significant decrease in the incidence of other leukemias, especially in developing regions. We assessed that this decrease could be ascribed to the development of diagnostic approaches that subsequently allowed for more leukemia cases to be precisely classified.

The rise of AML incidence was partly due to an increasing prevalence of therapy for AML as more patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy are cured of their primary malignancy [ 33 ]. For CLL, previous studies reported a strong birth-cohort effect underlying this increasing trend and suggested that lifestyles and environmental factors may play a role in the development of CLL [ 34 , 35 ]. The currently available toxicologic and observational epidemiological studies have provided strong evidentiary basis for the presence of casual associations of small to moderate sizes between several environmental exposures and leukemia.

Awaiting a more complete evidentiary basis for decision-making, though ideal, will result in significant delays. Ultimately, regulatory actions based on the evolving science are needed to shift the burden from the individual to producers [ 36 ]. The limitations of our study should also be noted. First, all data were derived from mathematical models based on surveillance data rather than the surveillance data itself.

Second, owing to the conventional limitations of cancer surveillance systems e. Third, the diagnostic and classification criteria for leukemia types varied from country to country, which might introduce biases to learn the changing trends of certain types of leukemia. In sum, in the current study, we analyzed the incidence trends of leukemia types at the global, regional, and national level. We reported a significant decrease in leukemia incidence between and However, the incidence of both AML and CLL significantly increased in most countries during the study period, suggesting that these types of leukemia might become a major global public health concern.

More importantly, the incidence of leukemia and its changing trends were highly heterogeneous across the world. Therefore, more prevention strategies tailored to each country are needed.

CA J Clin. Article Google Scholar. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Nat Rev Dis Primers. Juliusson G, Hough R. Progress in tumor research. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Acute myeloid leukaemia. Schwartz LC, Mascarenhas J. Current and evolving understanding of atypical chronic myeloid leukemia. Blood Rev. Molecular genetics of chronic neutrophilic leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and atypical chronic myeloid leukemia. J Hematol Oncol. Genomics of racial and ethnic disparities in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Familial predisposition and genetic risk factors for lymphoma. Doll R, Wakeford R. Risk of childhood cancer from fetal irradiation. Br J Radiol.

Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for causes of death, a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study The global, regional, and national burden of oesophageal cancer and its attributable risk factors in countries and territories, — a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study However, most people with known risk factors don't get leukemia.

And many people with leukemia have none of these risk factors. Leukemia care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Leukemia is cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Parts of the immune system Open pop-up dialog box Close.

Parts of the immune system The lymphatic system is part of the body's immune system, which protects against infection and disease. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Kliegman RM, et al. The leukemias. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics.

Elsevier; Accessed Oct. Niederhuber JE, et al. The subtype distribution was more diverse in adults, with a relatively higher proportion of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in most European and North American countries, whereas rates of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia remained relatively high among adults in selected South American, Caribbean, Asian, and African populations. Interpretation: Geographical disparities in leukaemia might partly be explained by quality of, and access to, health systems linked to resource levels, although there is probably a role for aetiological factors, including gene-environment interactions.

The observed bimodal pattern could be due to different risk factors affecting different ages, and might include a genetic component. Abstract Background: Leukaemia is a heterogeneous group of haemopoietic cancers that comprises a number of diverse and biologically distinct subgroups.