PATTERN OF CHILDHOOD CANCER IN IBADAN- A RETROSPECTIVE 20 YEAR STUDY FROM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN

Abstract

Design- This was a retrospective study carried out at the Department of Pathology of the
University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Aim- The aim of the study was to describe the pattern of childhood cancers in Ibadan.
Methods- Histologically and cytologically confirmed cases of childhood cancers diagnosed at
the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan between January 1991 and December 2010 were
recruited into the study. Cases with inadequate clinical or pathology data were excluded from the
study. Data were obtained from the records of the departments of Pathology and Haematology.
The cases were histologically classified using the International Classification of Childhood
Cancer, third edition (ICCC-3). The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.
Results- There were 626 cases, comprising 362 (57.8%) males and 264 (42.2%) females, with a
modal age of 3 years. The common neoplasms were lymphomas (22.5%), retinoblastomas
(20.9%), soft tissue sarcomas (14.9%), leukaemias (10.2%) and CNS tumours (6.9%). The peak
age group of retinoblastomas, CNS tumours, neuroblastomas, renal tumours and germ cell
tumours was 0-4 years, while that of lymphomas, bone tumours, malignant hepatic tumours and
malignant epithelial neoplasms was 10-14 years.
Conclusion- There has been a decline in the frequency of childhood cancer cases at UCH,
Ibadan. This may be due to establishment of additional specialist centres in the sub region.
Retinoblastoma is now the most common individual childhood cancer at Ibadan, due to a
persistent decline in the frequency of Burkitt lymphoma.