DISTRIBUTION OF CHILDHOOD MALIGNANCIES AT COMBINED MILITARY HOSPITAL, RAWALPINDI

Distribution of Childhood Maligancies

Abstract

Objective: To document distribution of childhood malignancies among Paediatric Oncology patients.
Study design: Descriptive study
Place and duration of study: Department of paediatric oncology, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi from June 2006 to May 2007.
Methodology: We collected data of one hundred and forty one (141) consecutive newly diagnosed paediatric oncology patients. Demographics (age and gender) and types of malignancy (diagnosed on histopathology) were collected in all cases.
Results: Of the total patients 90 were male, 51 female with a male to female ratio of 1.76. Childhood malignancies found were leukaemia (60.3%) lymphomas (11.3%), bone tumours (4.3%), brain tumours (2.8%), germ cell tumours (3.5%), retinoblastoma (7.1%), neuroblastoma (3.5%), Wilms tumour (2.8%), rhabdomyosarcoma (2.1%), hepatoblastoma (1.4%) and synovial sarcoma (0.7%). Mean age at diagnosis was 5.4 ± 3.05 years. 24(17%) patients were from Punjab, 9(6.4%) from Sindh, 82(58.2%) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5 (3.5%) from Baluchistan and 21 (14.9%) from AJK.
Conclusion: This study showed that leukemia is the commonest childhood malignancy. Our research findings are useful for prioritizing future childhood cancer research needs.