[Incidence of haematological neoplasms in Castilla y León, Spain].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the incidence of haematological neoplasms (HNs) in Castilla y León (2,5 million inhabitants) and its distribution by age, gender and histological type.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: The epidemiological profile based on the described variables of the 10,943 HNs diagnosed during a 10-years period was analyzed, compared with other studies.

RESULTS: The overall age-adjusted incidence was 29.4 cases/10(5) inhabitants-year, with some geographical differences. The mean age was 67.3 years, with a turning point between the 6th-7th decades of life from which there was a very significant increase of incidence. Two relevant facts where simultaneous with advancing age: decreased lymphoid neoplasms incidence and increased low degree neoplasms incidence. Lymphoid low degree neoplasms accounted for half of the registered processes, showed the greatest preference for male and reached the mode before the rest of neoplasms. Myeloid neoplasms incidence (9.5) was higher than that reported in other European registries, specially compared to southern European countries, opposite to lymphoid neoplasms incidence (20.0).

CONCLUSIONS: A higher myeloid neoplasms incidence and lower lymphoid one than expected was observed. The turning point of incidence is between the 6th-7th decades of life, with a preference for male that decreases with age. There is an increased incidence of HNs in the area where a higher density of potentially polluting facilities is concentrated.