Pediatric cancers in Bihar: A retrospective tertiary cancer center study

BACKGROUND: There is lack of information regarding pattern of distribution of pediatric cancers in Bihar. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify the pattern of distribution of pediatric cancers. OBJECTIVES: To analyze demographic data, type, and pattern of pediatric cancers in Bihar by retrospective clinical audit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All individual consecutive patients between ages 0 and 18 years registered in the Department of Medical and Pediatric Oncology from January 1, 2018 till December 31, 2018, were enrolled in this study. Data pertaining to age, sex, and type of cancer were retrieved from clinical database by retrospective audit and stratified into hematolymphoid and solid pediatric cancer cohorts. Frequency distribution and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data using SPSS version 17.0. RESULTS: A total of 247 pediatric cancers were registered, of which 142/247 (57%) and 15/247 (43%) were pediatric hematolymphoid and solid cancers, respectively. The median age was 9 years, while male-to-female ratio was 2.26. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 76/247 (31%) was the most common pediatric cancer overall. Hodgkin's lymphoma, 27/142 (19%) was the second most common hematolymphoid malignancy, after ALL was 76/142 (54%). Among solid tumors, Wilms’ tumor was the most common, 28/105 (27%) followed by Ewing's sarcoma, 16/105 (15%), and germ cell tumor, 15/105 (14%). Central nervous system malignancies were among the least common solid tumor cancers, 3/105 (3%). CONCLUSION: ALL and Hodgkin's lymphoma are the most common pediatric cancers. Among solid malignancies, Wilms tumor, Ewing's sarcoma, and Germ cell tumor are predominant.