Cutaneous lymphoma in Israel, 1985-1993: a population-based incidence study

The incidence rate of cutaneous lymphomas (CL) [including mycosis fungoides (MF) and non-mycosis fungoides (non-MF)] for the period 1985-93 in Israel was determined using data from the population-based Cancer Registry supplemented by a field survey that covered approximately 80% of lymphoma cases. After the field survey, corrected rates were 49% and 24% higher for MF and non-MF respectively (37% for CL overall). The age-adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 were 1.18 and 0.63 for Jewish men and women respectively. MF rates (0.77 in men and 0.35 in women) were higher than non-MF (0.41 and 0.28 respectively). Rates of CL were significantly lower in non-Jews. There were no significant differences in incidence among Jewish ethnic subgroups. However, the lack of variability in the incidence of these neoplasms among subpopulations is in contrast with findings for cutaneous malignant melanoma; the observed high rates of CL could, nonetheless, be consistent with the sunlight exposure hypothesis, operating perhaps through a different mechanism.