Recent trends of incidence and mortality of cutaneous lymphomas in Germany

Primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCL) are primarily composed of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), followed by cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL). This study aimed to assess the incidence and survival rates of PCL in Germany.

We analyzed data from the North Rhine-Westphalia Cancer Registry (2008-2021), which covers a population of 18 million. Age-standardized incidence rates and relative survival were calculated.

The analysis included 3,853 patients with newly diagnosed PCL. Of these, 69.5% were CTCL, and 24.9% were CBCL. The age-standardized incidence of PCL was 10.8 per million person-years. The incidence of both CTCL and CBCL increased over time. PCL cases were also identified in children. The overall five-year relative survival for PCL was 89% (95% CI: 87-92%), with CTCL patients having a survival rate of 91% (95% CI: 88-94%) and CBCL patients of 86% (95% CI: 81-91%). Among patients with Sézary syndrome, the five-year relative survival was 53% (95%: CI:29-77%).

This study represents the largest population-based analysis of PCL in Germany, including both adults and children. The incidence of PCL was higher than previously reported. Additionally, we present the first survival data for PCL in Germany, revealing a notably higher survival probability for patients with Sézary syndrome.