By : Emily Hayes
Death from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in the United States has been declining, but disparities in outcomes persist, according to a population study of data from 1999-2020.
For the study, researchers at the Nishtar Medical University and Hospital, in Punjab, Pakistan, and the Detroit Medical Center in Michigan analyzed CLL mortality trends for adults age 25 and up during the 22 years under review, using the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER). Results were presented at SOHO 2025.
From 1999-2020, there were a total of 97,246 deaths and the age adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) per 100,000 adults dropped from 2.55 to 1.617, with early detection and rising use of immunotherapies and other new treatments. Compared with men, women had better mortality rates (3.11 vs. 5.18), but a steeper decline, as shown by the average annual percent change (AAPC) of -2.32% versus -2.01% for men.
Researchers also noted disparities related to ethnicity. The AAMR per 100,000 for non-Hispanic whites was 2.14, compared with 1.79 for non-Hispanic Blacks and 0.36 for non-Hispanic Asians.
Age-adjusted mortality per 100,000 people also differed depending on geographic location: 2.32 in the Midwestern regions of the U.S., compared with 1.99 in the Northeast, 1.96 in the South and 1.87 in the West. Between 1999 and 2020, the AAMR dropped from 2.49 to 1.57 in metropolitan areas, compared with a decline from 2.71 to 1.91 in non-metropolitan areas.
“Despite the progress, disparities exist among underprivileged populations due to unequal distribution of health resources,” the researchers concluded. “Strenuous efforts are required to bridge this gap, hence implementation of personalized treatment and research into refractory cases remains pivotal in further curbing the rise of CLL-related mortality.”
Reference
Khan A, Hassan SMS, Afshan R, et al. Tracking the Epidemiological Trends in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia-Related Mortality in Adults Aged 25 and Above: A 22-Year U.S. Population-Based Study (1999–2020). Abstract #CLL-132. Presented at the thirteenth annual meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO 2025); September 3-6, 2025; Houston, Texas.
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