Lymphoma epidemiology in Syria: A 2024 analysis from the nation's primary oncology referral center.

e19042 Background: The ongoing conflict in Syria has significantly disrupted cancer surveillance, leading to a critical lack of contemporary epidemiological data on lymphomas. This study aims to characterize the demographic and clinical presentation of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the Syrian population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center analysis of all consecutive patients newly diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) at Al-Bairouni University Hospital in 2024. This center functions as Syria's principal oncology referral facility, handling an estimated 65-70% of the nation's cases. Data on key demographic variables (age, sex, governorate of residence, and smoking history) were systematically collected. The study protocol received institutional ethical review board approval prior to initiation. Results: A total of 494 patients were diagnosed with lymphoma in 2024 (Table 1). Across this year, a consistent male predominance was observed 55.2%. The average age at diagnosis was 46.8 years, and 45.7% of patients were smokers. The highest patient loads originated from Damascus (14.1%) and Rural Damascus (16.3%), followed by the central governorates of Homs (8.7%) and Hama (12.1%). Notably, patients from more distant and underserved governorates such as Deir ez-Zor (7.4%), Aleppo (6.9%), and Al-Hasakeh with Raqqa (12.7%) accounted for a significant proportion of the Lymphoma presenting to our center. Several factors predicted advanced disease: smoking rates correlated with advanced stage (+0.43). males had 33% higher odds than females, and high-grade tumors had 2.32x higher odds. Conclusions: This study establishes the first national epidemiological profile of lymphoma in Syria. The high prevalence of both smoking and advanced-stage disease at diagnosis identifies two critical public health priorities: implementing robust tobacco control programs and improving pathways to early detection. These findings provide an essential evidence base to guide future clinical strategies and health policy in this conflict-affected setting. Diagnosis 2024 Cases Average Age Male Sex (%) Smokers (%) HL 193 37 51.8% 41.9 NHL 301 53 57.1% 48.1%