title: The pattern of paediatric malignancy in Zambia (1980-1989): a hospital-based histopathological study.
abstract: The pattern of malignancies among indigenous Zambian children is described. The study, based upon an analysis of histopathology, autopsy and haematology records for a 10-year period (1980-1989), reveals a total of 525 neoplasms with a peak prevalence in the 5-9 year age group. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (17.5%) was the most common disorder followed by Burkitt's lymphoma (13.9%), retinoblastoma (11.4%), Kaposi's sarcoma (8.8%), Hodgkin's disease (5.9%), Wilms' tumour (5.9%), acute lymphocytic leukaemia (4%), rhabdomyosarcoma (3.4%), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (2.7%) and osteogenic sarcoma (2.1%). Kaposi's sarcoma and Hodgkin's disease revealed a significant male dominance; the former presented mainly in nodal form. Compared to an earlier report from Zambia (1968-1972), a significant increase in the incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma was noted in the present series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Elem
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Gwavava
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Urban
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology