Pathological profile of 1,385 lymphoma cases in Zunyi, China: A classification-based analysis following the WHO 2022 criteria for hematolymphoid tumors.

This study aimed to describe the incidence, classification, age and sex distribution, and extranodal site involvement of malignant lymphomas (ML) in the Zunyi region, based on the 5th edition World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. We analyzed 1,385 lymphoma cases in Zunyi, Southwest China, according to the WHO 2022 classification. The mean age was 54 years (M:F ratio 1.71:1). Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) accounted for 93.9% of cases, most with extranodal involvement, particularly in the digestive tract and nasal cavity. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, 47.4%) was the most common subtype, while extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) accounted for 50.2% of T/NK lymphomas. Compared with Western and Asian data, the Zunyi cohort showed higher rates of DLBCL, MALT lymphoma, and ENKTL. These findings highlight regional heterogeneity and underscore the influence of local environmental and ethnic factors on lymphoma epidemiology.