Systemic Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-positive Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Population-based Analysis of Incidence and Survival

Abstract Introduction Systemic ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK-positive ALCL) is a T-cell lymphoma. Owing to its rarity, variations in incidence and survival at the population level are not clearly known. Materials and Methods Using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database (SEER 18), we selected patients aged ≥ 20 years with ALK-positive ALCL, diagnosed between 2001 and 2013. Incidence rate, overall survival (OS), and its determinants were analyzed with a significance level of P Results We identified 1604 patients with a median age of 54 years. The disease incidence increased significantly with advancing age, with higher incidence in Blacks and lower incidence in American Indians and Asian/Pacific Islanders as compared with Whites. The 5-year OS significantly declined as the age advanced (age 20-40 years, 68.7%; age 41-60 years, 53.8%; age 61-80 years, 28.9%; age > 80 years, 15.2%; P P  = .03). On multivariate analysis, treatment with radiation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.59-0.87; P P P P Conclusion Incidence and survival of ALK-positive ALCL varies significantly with patients' demographic characteristics as identified in our study. Treatment strategies need to be tailored accordingly to address these variations and ensure uniform access to care.