Young adults diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) between the ages of 20 and 29 are about twice as likely to die from the disease as adolescents and children, researchers from the CDC reported in the March Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. A number of factors may contribute to this disparity, including the fact that young adults with this disease have much lower participation rates in clinical trials than children and teens, the researchers suggested.

To compare survival rates, Dr. Eric Tai and his colleagues analyzed data on 2,442 patients with NHL from 13 SEER cancer registries. The patients included 1,455 young adults and 987 teens and children diagnosed between 1992 and 2001.

Even after taking into account the subtype of the disease and the stage at diagnosis, young adults were still more likely to die within 5 years compared with children and teens. The study found that 87 percent of children and teens survived 24 months compared with 79 percent of young adults; the 5-year survival rates were 85 percent for children and teens and 75 percent for young adults.

Although survival in NHL has increased over time, the gains have been smaller among young adults than among children and adolescents, the researchers noted. They suggested that “differences in underlying conditions known to increase the incidence of NHL, differences in treatment, lack of participation in clinical trials, potential long-term or late effects on mortality, and lack of optimal follow-up” may all play a role. Future efforts to address survival should include increasing the number of clinical trials for young adults, encouraging them to enroll in the trials, and promoting improved access to care for this population, the investigators concluded.