Background: Hematologic malignancies are one of the most common types of cancer. This study aims to assess the global burden of hematologic malignancies and analyze the global epidemiological trends.
Methods: Through the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021) and the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2022 project, we comprehensively evaluated the global prevalence, incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of seven major hematologic malignancies, as well as their respective age-standardized rates (ASR) per 100,000 population. Regions were classified using the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) to evaluate the correlation between disease burden and economic level. In addition, we analyzed disease-related risk factors and predicted future trends up to 2040.
Results: From 1990 to 2021/2022, the number of global hematologic malignancy cases showed a continuously increasing trend, especially for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, the age-standardized death rates (ASDR) and age-standardized DALY rates (ASDALYR) of all types of hematologic malignancies tended to be stable or decline. For acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the number of death cases, ASDR, and ASDALYR decreased significantly. Nevertheless, the trends of hematologic malignancies varied by gender, age, and SDI. The burden of hematologic malignancies was generally higher in the elderly and male populations. Of course, acute lymphoblastic leukemia also imposed a huge burden on children, Hodgkin lymphoma also significantly burdened young people. Moreover, regions with a higher SDI had a higher incidence rate. Deaths related to smoking and high body mass index still played an important role in various regions, especially in regions with a higher SDI. It is predicted that the global age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and ASDALYR will show a slow downward trend by 2040.
Conclusions: Hematologic malignancies have remained a major global public health issue, with significant demographic and regional differences. The results of this study will provide a basis for analyzing the trends of the global disease burden of specific hematologic malignancies and offer a reference for health policymakers.
Keywords: DALYs; Deaths; GBD 2021; GLOBOCAN 2022; Hematologic malignancies; Incidence; Prevalence.
© 2025. The Author(s).