Study of Lymphoma in Asia

Background: \- Lymphoma rates in Asia have been lower than in the West, but rates have been rising in recent years. Most studies of lymphoma patients have been conducted in the West. Less information is available about the factors that might contribute to the rise of lymphoma in Asia. Researchers want to collect medical and personal histories and samples from people who have recently been diagnosed with lymphoma. This information will help them study possible reasons for this increase. Objectives: \- To collect samples and histories as part of an introductory study of lymphoma in Asia. Eligibility: * People between 18 and 79 years of age who have entered study hospitals in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China for treatment for any type of lymphoma. * Healthy volunteers between 18 and 79 who have never had lymphoma. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. * They will provide blood samples and cheek cell samples for testing. * Participants will complete a questionnaire about their personal health history. They will answer questions about exposures to chemicals like pesticides. They will also be asked about family medical history and work and residential history. Finally they will answer questions about lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. * They will give permission for the researchers to see their medical records. Researchers will also have access to any tumor samples collected as part of treatment.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Maximum age

79 Years

* INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Eligible cases will be patients at a participating hospital who are between 18 and 79 years of age at time of initial diagnosis and admitted or treated with incident diagnoses of any lymphoid or myeloid neoplasm including all NHL and Hodgkin disease. Although it is important to understand the etiology of lymphoma in children as well, this undertaking would require additional hospitals, instruments, expertise, and funding that are not currently available to our research team. Adults over the age of 80 are generally among the sickest patients in the hospital and often have multiple comorbidities, which may preclude their participation in an interview of this length. Cases will be permanent residents of the general geographic region that is served by the hospital at the time of diagnosis. Cases will include chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, plasmacytoma, multiple myeloma, aggressive NK cell leukemia, cutaneous lymphomas, myeloid neoplasms, and immunosuppression-associated cases (such as HIV, post transplant, Methotrexate use).

2,400 lymphoid neoplasm cases will be enrolled with less common subtypes in Asian populations including Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and NK/T, T, follicular and marginal zone lymphoma, in order to increase statistical power to study risk factors for these tumors.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Cases with previous diagnosis of lymphoma, such as acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, are ineligible.

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• BACKGROUNDAoki R, Karube K, Sugita Y, Nomura Y, Shimizu K, Kimura Y, Hashikawa K, Suefuji N, Kikuchi M, Ohshima K. Distribution of malignant lymphoma in Japan: analysis of 2260 cases, 2001-2006. Pathol Int. 2008 Mar;58(3):174-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1827.2007.02207.x. PMID 18251781