Hairy cell leukemia is infrequent in México and has a geographic distribution

• Published in: American journal of hematology Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 316 - 318
• Main Authors: Ruiz‐Argüelles, Guillermo J., Cantú‐Rodríguez, Olga G., Gómez‐Almaguer, David, Cortés‐Franco, Jorge, Góngora‐Biachi, Renán A., Pizzuto, Javier, Rodríguez‐Carrillo, José, Romero‐García, Fernando, Torre‐López, Enrique, Apreza‐Molina, M. Guadalupe, Mercado‐Díaz, Leopolodo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.08.1996
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; epidemiology; Female; geography; hairy cell; Humans; leukemia; Leukemia, Hairy Cell - epidemiology; Male; Mexico - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Mexico
• ISSN: 0361-8609; 1096-8652
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8652(199608)52:4<316::AID-AJH13>3.0.CO;2-B

Considering that the prevalence of some hematologic malignancies may have a geographic distribution that could be related with its etiology, a group of 2,387 patients with acute leukemia (1,968 adults and 419 children) was studied along a 5‐year period in six different locations within México. Twenty‐seven patients (16 males and 11 females) with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) were identified. The adjusted overall porportion of HCL, after excluding data from centers reporting only adults, was 1.12% of all leukemia cases; this figure is lower than that reported in the United States or England. The proportion of adult leukemic patients with HCL was significantly higher in the northern region of the country—where there are more people devoted to farming and agricultural activities—as compared with the central or southeastern regions (3.07 vs. 1.03% vs 0%; P < 0.05); possible explanations for these differences are briefly discussed. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.