A study of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma incidence in central Brooklyn

Int J Cancer. 1999 Mar 1;80(5):662-6. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990301)80:5<662::aid-ijc5>3.0.co;2-i.

Abstract

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a rare outcome of infection with human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I), is endemic in central Brooklyn, which has a large Caribbean migrant population. Previous studies have suggested that HTLV-I prevalence in central Brooklyn may be similar to that recorded in the Caribbean islands. We established a pilot 1-year surveillance program to identify cases of ATL in 7 of 10 hospitals serving the residents of 18 zip codes of central Brooklyn with a combined population of 1,184,670. Of the 6,198 in-patient beds in the catchment area, approximately 83% were covered. Twelve incident cases of ATL were ascertained, all among persons of Afro-Caribbean descent, indicating an annual incidence in African-Americans in this community of approximately 3.2/100,000 person-years. Unexplained hypercalcemia was the most useful screening method, identifying 3 of 5 patients not referred for possible ATL by a local hematologist. The female:male ratio was 3:1. The age pattern was different from that reported in the Caribbean Basin and closer to the pattern seen in Japan. Our study supports evidence that HTLV-I infection and ATL are endemic in central Brooklyn and suggests that a more intensive surveillance program for this disease coupled with intervention efforts to reduce HTLV-I transmission are warranted.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Demography
  • Female
  • HTLV-I Antibodies / blood
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Jamaica / ethnology
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / blood
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / epidemiology*
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • New York City / epidemiology
  • Pilot Projects
  • Population Surveillance
  • Risk Factors
  • Trinidad and Tobago / ethnology

Substances

  • HTLV-I Antibodies