Trends and characteristics of childhood cancer in al-Najaf governorate, 2012-2020

Abstract EN

Cancer is a major health problem worldwide in terms of morbidity and mortality, but it is especially prevalent in developing countries.

Cancer is considered the second cause of death around the world, especially in developed countries after cardiovascular diseases, and the third cause of death in less-developed countries after cardiovascular diseases and accidents.

Childhood cancer remains the second greatest cause of mortality in children in developed countries, after accidents, and the third or fourth most prevalent cause of mortality among children in developing countries.

Objective of the Study : •To estimate the trends of occurrence of childhood cancer in Al-Najaf governorate for the period between 2012 and 2020 • To study the characteristics of children newly diagnosed with childhood cancer in 2021 Materials and Methods : Study Design : The study was a biometric descriptive study that involves the treatment and processing of already available data depending on the data of childhood cancer already registered for the years 2012 to 2020.

• Data here include the total number of registered childhood cancer cases each year and dividing them into various types, with estimating the most common five cancers each year.

• Data also include the age of the patients divided into three age groups [1–5, 6–10, and 11–15 years] and the gender of the patients.

Results : The total number of children with cancer who were newly diagnosed and registered during the years 2012–2020 was 802 (male=449, female=353, male : female ratio=1.2 : 1).

The majority of cases were those of children aged younger than five years (327), than the other two groups (5–10 years and 10+ years).

Brain / CNS cancer was the most common type of childhood cancer (170 cases), followed by lymphoma (150 cases : HL 110 cases and NHL 40 cases), and then leukemia (137 cases : ALL 117 and AML 20 cases) ; the greatest number of cases was observed in the center of Al-Najaf than others (Kufa, Manathera).

Conclusion : The trend of childhood cancer in our study seems to be higher in children aged younger than five years in comparison with their older colleagues, with a high variation in the number of cases of childhood cancer between one year and another, which is suspected to emerge from imported cases from outside Al-Najaf ; that became near platue after exclusion of these cases.

Brain / CNS cancer was the most common type of childhood cancer in our study in Al-Najaf, with a great number of cases in the Center of Al-Najaf governorate.