Mortality rates from non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have declined in many countries in recent decades. However, mortality estimates for Brazil indicate an increase in these rates. This study aimed to analyze NHL mortality trends for 1980-2007 in individuals 20 years and older in State capitals in Southeast Brazil. Population data were obtained from the Mortality Information System and the Health Statistics Division of the Unified National Health System (DATASUS). Age-related mortality trends were analyzed using polynomial regression models. In the 60 and older age group, a statistically significant upward linear trend was observed for Belo Horizonte and São Paulo in 1980-2007. When analyzed in two different periods, 1980-1995 and 1996-2007, statistically significant increases in NHL mortality rates were only observed in the former period. These results suggest that the increase in 1980-2007 may have resulted from the rising mortality rates from 1980 to 1995, since no statistically significant trends were observed in the latter period.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma; Mortality; Incidence
