Open AccessNeuroblastoma in Sudan: experience of a single institute
Author(s) -
Nada Osman Yousif Elhaj,
Faisal Abdelgalil Nugud,
Omer AbdElhadi Abuagla,
Ahmed Abdallah Mohamedani,
Huda M Haroun
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
sudanese journal of paediatrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0256-4408
DOI - 10.24911/sjp.106-1570515379
Subject(s) - medicine , neuroblastoma , presentation (obstetrics) , pediatrics , treatment modality , pediatric oncology , retrospective cohort study , childhood cancer , disease , chemotherapy , cancer , surgery , genetics , biology , cell culture
Neuroblastoma (NBL) is the most common malignant solid extracranial tumour in children. It accounts for about 8%-10% of overall childhood malignancies in developed countries and only 1%-3% in developing countries. We aim to study the clinical presentation and outcome of NBL in children treated at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), University of Gezira, Wad Madani, Sudan. This is a retrospective, descriptive, hospital-based study, where patients' records were reviewed from the years 2004-2015. During this period, 38 paediatric patients were treated in the Paediatric Oncology Unit at the NCI, accounting for about 4% of the overall childhood malignancies. Of them, 24 (63%) were males and 14 (37%) were females with a ratio of 1.7: 1. The age at presentation ranged between 2 months and 7 years with a mean age at the presentation of 3 years. Twenty-nine (76%) of them were classified as high-risk disease, no one received high-dose chemotherapy, 33(87%) died and only 5 (13%) achieved complete remission. This study reflects the poor outcome of NBL among Sudanese children which can be explained by the late presentation of the patients, lack of the diagnostic modalities and lack of the sophisticated treatment modalities for high-risk NBL.