Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in northern Israel: a study of 481 patients with emphasis on ethnic-related patterns.

During the period between 1970-1984, 481 patients with previously untreated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were referred to the Northern Israel Oncology Center, Haifa. There were 264 (54.9%) Ashkenazi Jews, 123 (25.6%) non-Ashkenazi Jews, and 86 (17.9%) Arabs. The mean age at diagnosis was 60 +/- 15 years for Ashkenazi Jews, 45 +/- 22 years for non-Ashkenazi Jews, and 36 +/- 22 years for Arabs. Ashkenazi Jews had a higher rate of nodular lymphoma compared to non-Ashkenazi Jews and Arabs. Extranodal lymphoma occurred more frequently in non-Ashkenazi Jews and Arabs. Lymphoma of the small intestine was more common in Arabs than in Ashkenazi and non-Ashkenazi Jews. Despite these differences in the pattern of disease, 5 year actuarial survival figures for the various ethnic groups were similar.