Incidence of Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma High in Caribbean-Born

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

FRIDAY, May 8, 2026 -- The incidence of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), which is caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection, typically acquired through mother-to-child transmission, is highest among Caribbean-born individuals, according to a study published online April 30 in JAMA Oncology.

Paulo S. Pinheiro, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Miami School of Medicine in Florida, and colleagues estimated ATLL incidence in the United States by race, ethnicity, and birthplace in a population-based incidence and survival analysis performed using cancer registries for all 50 U.S. states.

A total of 3,228 individuals with ATLL diagnosed between 2005 and 2022 were included (51.5 percent male; 48.5 percent female), with a mean age at diagnosis of 61.1 years. The researchers found that 3.9, 40.3, 11.3, 43.2, and 1.4 percent were non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, and other race. There was variation in incidence by birthplace. The ATLL incidence rate was 14.1 per million among non-Hispanic Caribbean-born U.S. residents compared with 0.4 per million among U.S.- or Canadian-born populations (incidence rate ratio, 32.0). Among individuals born in Grenada, rates reached 33.7 per million. Among Caribbean-born populations, ATLL incidence increased to levels approaching or exceeding those reported in HTLV-1 endemic regions in sensitivity analyses redistributing excess peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified incidence under a misclassification framework. Poor five-year survival was seen (23.8 percent) and was lowest among Caribbean-born residents. The researchers called for maternal screening to identify early-life infection to prevent ATLL.

"This is one of the few cancers where we understand the cause, the timeline and -- most importantly -- how to prevent it,” Pinheiro said in a statement. "If we do not identify HTLV-1 and ATLL correctly, we miss the opportunity to prevent a fatal cancer decades before it develops."

Two authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-05-09 02:11

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