The incidence of childhood cancer in Jordan: a population-based study

Comparing presentations and outcomes of children with cancer: a study between a lower-middle-income country and a high-income country

BACKGROUND

Substantial progress has been achieved in managing childhood cancers in many high-income countries (HICs). In contrast, survival rates in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are less favorable. Here, we aimed to compare outcomes and associated factors between two large institutions; Egypt (LMIC) and Germany (HIC).

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted on newly diagnosed children with cancer between 2006 and 2010 in the departments of pediatric oncology at the South Egypt Cancer Institute (SECI) (n = 502) and the University Hospital of Cologne-Uniklinik Köln (UKK) (n = 238). Characteristics including age, sex, diagnosis, travel time from home to the cancer center, the time interval from initial symptoms to the start of treatment, treatment-related complications, compliance, and outcome were analyzed. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to investigate the influence of risk factors.

RESULTS

The most common diagnoses in SECI were leukemia (48.8%), lymphomas (24.1%), brain tumors (1%), and other solid tumors (24.7%), compared to 22.3%, 19.3%, 28.6%, and 26.5% in UKK, respectively. Patients from SECI were younger (5.2 vs. 9.0 years, P < 0.001), needed longer travel time to reach the treatment center (1.44 ± 0.07 vs. 0.53 ± 0.03 h, P < 0.001), received therapy earlier (7.53 ± 0.59 vs. 12.09 ± 1.01 days, P = 0.034), showed less compliance (85.1% vs. 97.1%, P < 0.001), and relapsed earlier (7 vs. 12 months, P = 0.008). Deaths in SECI were more frequent (47.4% vs. 18.1%) and caused mainly by infection (60% in SECI, 7% in UKK), while in UKK, they were primarily disease-related (79% in UKK, 27.7% in SECI). Differences in overall and event-free survival were observed for leukemias but not for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcome differences were associated with different causes of death and other less prominent factors.

Childhood Cancer in Basrah, Iraq During 2012-2016: Incidence and Mortality

Background: Worldwide, childhood cancer is rare. In addition, a distinct variation in both incidence and type distribution was reported between countries. Aim: To estimate the incidence and mortality rates of childhood cancer in Basrah, Iraq during 2012-2016. Methods: This registry based descriptive study included children aged 0-14 years with primary cancer who were newly diagnosed in Basrah during 2012-2016. The types of malignant tumors were classified according to International Classification of Childhood Cancer, Version 3 (ICCC-3). The overall and specific incidence and mortality rates by age and sex were calculated per 100,000 population. Results: A total of 723 new cases of childhood cancer were registered during the five- year study period, with a male to-female ratio of 1.2/1. Children aged <4 years accounted for 43.1% of patients. The overall incidence rate was 13.74/100,000, and the age standardized incidence rate (ASIR) was 13.87/100,000. Boys showed higher incidence rate than girls (14.78 vs. 12.66/100,000). Leukemia was the most common type of childhood cancer accounting for 35.4%, followed by lymphoma (17.8%), and central nervous system tumors 11.9%. The overall cancer-specific mortality rate was 6.04/100,000 and the ASMR was 6.08/100,000 children. Conclusion: The incidence rate of childhood cancer in Basrah as well as the cancer type distribution was comparable to that reported for developing countries.

Childhood Cancer Mortality in India: Direct Estimates From a Nationally Representative Survey of Childhood Deaths

Purpose

Although most children with cancer live in low- and middle-income countries, measurements of childhood cancer burden in such countries have been restricted to incidence rates from a few subnational cancer registries and mortality rates from vital statistics. We aimed to provide alternative burden estimates by using nationally representative longitudinal survey–derived mortality rates.

Methods

We examined cancer deaths in childhood (1 month to 14 years of age) in the Million Death Study, a cohort of > 27,000 pediatric deaths in India on the basis of enhanced verbal autopsies. All deaths potentially due to childhood cancer were identified. Two pediatric specialists independently categorized deaths as definite, probable, possible, or unlikely cancer related. From definite and probable deaths, we estimated national and regional mortality rates attributable to childhood malignancies. Data on symptoms and health care–seeking behavior were abstracted from closed-ended questions and caregiver narratives.

Results

Of 700 included deaths, 189 were classified as definite or possibly cancer related. The κ-statistic between reviewers was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.71 to 0.78). From these deaths, we estimated that in 2010, 13,700 were a result of childhood cancer in India, which led to a mortality rate of 37 (95% CI, 31 to 42) per million population per year, which exceeds many prior estimates of mortality and even some estimates of incidence. Disparities between mortality estimates were widest in northeast India and for brain tumors. A preponderance of male deaths was seen (male:female ratio, 1.6:1).

Conclusion

The burden of childhood cancer in India is substantially higher than previously suggested. This information will aid advocacy for national strategies aimed at improving outcomes for Indian children with cancer.

The worldwide incidence and prevalence of primary brain tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Primary brain tumors are a heterogeneous group of benign and malignant tumors arising from the brain parenchyma and its surrounding structures. The epidemiology of these tumors is poorly understood. The aim of our study is to systematically review the latest literature on the incidence and prevalence of primary brain tumors.

METHODS

The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to a predetermined protocol and established guidelines. Only studies reporting on data from 1985 onward were included. Articles were included if they met the following criteria: (i) original research, (ii) population based, (iii) reported an incidence or prevalence estimate of primary brain tumors.

RESULTS

From the 53 eligible studies overall, 38 were included in the meta-analysis. A random-effects model found the overall incidence rate of all brain tumors to be 10.82 (95% CI: 8.63-13.56) per 100 000 person-years. The incidence proportion estimates were heterogeneous, even among the same tumor subtypes, and ranged from 0.051 per 100 000 (germ cell tumors) to 25.48 per 100 000 (all brain tumors). There were insufficient data to conduct a meta-analysis of the prevalence of primary brain tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for more accurate and comparable incidence and prevalence estimates of primary brain tumors across the world. A standardized approach to the study of the epidemiology of these tumors is needed to better understand the burden of brain tumors and the possible geographical variations in their incidence.

Childhood cancer in Aden, Yemen

BACKGROUND

Cancer in children is increasingly recognized as a major and growing health problem in different developed and developing countries. In Yemen, it is still difficult to know the extent of cancer and its determinants among children. This study was conducted to determine the magnitude of childhood cancer in Aden and provide the preliminary baseline data by age and sex.

METHODS

Basic epidemiologic data was retrieved from all paediatric cancer <15 years age registered in Aden Caner Registry (ACR), Yemen, from 1997 to 2006.

RESULTS

The results showed a total of 483 childhood cancers <15 years age comprising 12.7% of all registered malignancies with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The predominant age affected was 5-9 years in (38.3%) children. The most frequent cancer among Yemeni children was leukaemia 160 (33.1%) followed by lymphoma 152 (31.5%), CNS tumors 35 (7.2%) and bone tumours 25 (5.2%). An interesting and unusual finding was the frequency of acute myeloid leukaemia twice more common in female (66.7%) than male (33.3%). Lymphoma was the most common cancer in children >5 years. An interesting comparison was the preponderance of non-Hodgkins's lymphoma over Hodgkin's disease (1.6:1) stronger in female (3:1) than male (1.25:1). Medulloblastoma was the most common CNS tumour followed by astrocytoma, an infrequent finding in childhood cancer. Osteosarcoma was the most frequent bone tumour (male:female ratio of 1.8:1). A female preponderance was noticed in chondrosarcoma that was not yet documented. The blastoma group was common in younger age group. Retinoblastoma and nephroblastoma predominated in female while neuroblastoma, hepatoblastoma and soft tissue sarcomas in male.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that there is a lower frequency of childhood cancer in Aden when compared with developed countries. It may explained by the fact that a large number of childhood cancers remain undiagnosed due to limitations of diagnostic facilities or under registration. Central paediatric hospitals should be provided with essential diagnostic and therapeutic services that should be freely available to all children with cancer.

Assistencia ao cancer entre criancas e adolescentes: mapeamento dos fluxos origem-destino no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Analisar os fluxos de viagens de crianças e adolescentes com câncer, entre os locais de residência e serviço de saúde. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados os fluxos de viagens de crianças e adolescentes com câncer entre os locais de residência e de serviço de saúde atendidos no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), de 2000 a 2007. A unidade de análise foi a regional de saúde. Utilizou-se o sistema de informações geográficas e metodologia de redes por tipo de tratamento recebido (quimioterapia e radioterapia) e internações hospitalares. RESULTADOS: Foram emitidas 465.289 autorizações de quimioterapia, 29.151 de radioterapia e 383.568 de internações hospitalares de crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico de câncer para tratamento no SUS. O fluxo dominante formou 48 redes para quimioterapia, 53 para radioterapia e 112 para internações hospitalares. A maior parte do volume de atendimento ocorreu nas regionais de saúde das 12 maiores metrópoles do País com grande relacionamento entre elas e extensa área de influência direta acompanhando a estrutura da rede urbana brasileira. CONCLUSÕES: A identificação das redes estabelecidas no âmbito do SUS para o atendimento de crianças e adolescentes com câncer mostra que a maioria dos pacientes está contemplada pelas redes estruturadas. Cerca de 10% das viagens ocorrem fora do fluxo dominante, indicando a necessidade de regionalização alternativa. Os resultados evidenciam a importância do planejamento da distribuição dos serviços de acordo com as necessidades da população usuária.

Cancer incidence and survival among children and adolescents in Israel during the years 1998 to 2007

Our goal was to describe childhood cancer incidence and survival in Israel and to identify demographic and epidemiologic variations among children and adolescents with cancer. We used data from the Israel National Cancer Registry to examine the incidence and survival of pediatric cancer in Israeli children aged 0 to 19 years, diagnosed during the years 1998 to 2007. Cases were analyzed according to sex, age, ethnicity, and geographic region. Among the 4255 cases of childhood cancer, there was a total age-adjusted incidence rate of 172.4 per million for children aged 0 to 19 years and 153.4 per million for children aged 0 to 14 years. The incidence rate for boys was higher than for girls (192.5 and 153.3, respectively) and higher for Jewish children than for Arab children (177.6 and 156.8, respectively). The largest groups were leukemias (22%), lymphomas (20.2%), and central nervous system tumors (17.4%). The number of new cases increased each year, but the incidence rate remained steady. The survival probability updated to December 2008 was estimated and the 5-year survival was calculated for the new cases until the end of 2003. The overall survival at 5 years was 80.8%, with 72.8% for the Arabic population and 83.2% for the Jewish population, and depended on the diagnosis. Incidence and survival in childhood cancer in Israel is at the same medium level compared with other parts of the world. This study may set the basis for investigating the genetic and environmental factors that cause pediatric cancer in Israel, delineating the genetic basis for ethnic origin disparities in survival.

Childhood cancer epidemiology in low-income countries

Global studies of childhood cancer provide clues to cancer etiology, facilitate prevention and early diagnosis, identify biologic differences, improve survival rates in low-income countries (LIC) by facilitating quality improvement initiatives, and improve outcomes in high-income countries (HIC) through studies of tumor biology and collaborative clinical trials. Incidence rates of cancer differ between various ethnic groups within a single country and between various countries with similar ethnic compositions. Such differences may be the result of genetic predisposition, early or delayed exposure to infectious diseases, and other environmental factors. The reported incidence of childhood leukemia is lower in LIC than in more prosperous countries. Registration of childhood leukemia requires recognition of symptoms, rapid access to primary and tertiary medical care (a pediatric cancer unit), a correct diagnosis, and a data management infrastructure. In LIC, where these services are lacking, some children with leukemia may die before diagnosis and registration. In this environment, epidemiologic studies would seem to be an unaffordable luxury, but in reality represent a key element for progress. Hospital-based registries are both feasible and essential in LIC, and can be developed using available training programs for data managers and the free online Pediatric Oncology Networked Data Base (www.POND4kids.org), which allows collection, analysis, and sharing of data.