Systematic literature review of the global burden of illness of mantle cell lymphoma

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a rare and aggressive disease, accounts for approximately 5% of all B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Evidence on the burden of this disease, for patients and healthcare providers, is scarce. Methods: Four systematic literature reviews were developed to identify epidemiological, real-world clinical, economic and humanistic burden data on patients with MCL. Electronic databases searched included MEDLINE and Embase, NHS EED and Econlit. Results: Eight epidemiological studies, 19 clinical burden, 2 economic impact and 0 quality of life studies were identified. The range of standardized MCL incidence rates was 0.1–1.27/100,000. Overall survival rates of patients at 3 years differed by age at diagnosis (≤65 years: 76–81%, >65 years: 46–64%) and disease stage (stage I: 73–80%, stage IV: 48–53%). Outcomes were poorer in previously treated patients, and those with later stage or blastoid disease, and improved with more recent diagnosis/treatment. Hospitalization is a major contributor to healthcare cost and differs by therapy toxicity. Conclusions: We identified significant data gaps for many G20 countries for epidemiology, real-world clinical, economic and humanistic burden. These literature reviews demonstrate the ongoing unmet need for MCL patients globally. Future research to further understand the real-world impact of MCL is needed along with new therapeutic options to improve patient outcomes.