Epidemiology of Adult and Pediatric Burkitt Lymphoma in Canada: Sequelae of the HIV Epidemic

Background: Although the pathogenesis and epidemiology of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (bl) have been extensively studied, the epidemiologic landscape of sporadic and immunodeficiency-associated bl in North America remains poorly understood. Methods: We used 3 distinct population-based cancer registries to retrospectively study bl incidence and mortality in Canada. Data for patient sex; age at the time of diagnosis; and reporting province, city, and forward sortation area (fsa, the first three characters of a postal code) were analyzed. Results: During 1992–2010, 1420 patients with bl in Canada were identified (incidence rate: 2.40 cases per million patient–years), of which 71.1% were male patients. Mean age at diagnosis was 55.5 ± 20.8 years. A bimodal incidence by age distribution was seen in both sexes, with pediatric- and adult-onset peaks. An analysis based on fsas identified select communities with statistically higher rates of adult bl. Several of those fsas were located within the 3 major metropolitan areas (Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto) and within self-identified lgbtq communities. The fsas with a higher socioeconomic status score were associated with lower rates of bl. Conclusions: Current results highlight the geographic and historic pattern of bl in Canada. The human immunodeficiency virus remains an important risk factor for adult bl.