[General and specific incidence of cancer among children affiliated to the Mexican Institute of Social Security].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the epidemiology of cancer among children from eleven Mexican states affiliated to Mexican Social Security Institute (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, IMSS).


METHODS
2663 Cases of children with cancer were prospectively registered between 1996 and 2002 in the main IMSS medical centers. The cases were classified according to the International Classification for Childhood Cancer. The general and specific cancer incidences (rate per million children/year, age standardized) were obtained.


RESULTS
The principal groups of cancer in nine states were leukemias, lymphomas and central nervous system tumors (CNST). In eight states, the incidence was similar than reported worldwide (100 to 180); Chiapas had the highest incidence (203.5). Leukemias had higher incidence in seven States (>50). The highest incidences of CNST were observed in Chiapas and Guerrero (31.9 and 30.3); The incidence of neuroblastoma was low. Chiapas showed the highest incidence of retinoblastoma, bone tumors and carcinomas (21.8, 12.2 and 5.9 respectively); Puebla had the highest incidence of liver tumors (11.3) in which stages III and IV were the most frequent (67.8 %).


CONCLUSIONS
The main groups of cancer in Mexican children were leukemias, CNST, and lymphomas. Some states had high incidence; more than 50 % of children with solid tumors were diagnosed in advanced stages.
Fajardo-Gutiérrez
Arturo
A
Registro de Cáncer en Niños, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico. afajardo@servidor.unam.mx
Juárez-Ocaña
Servando
S
González-Miranda
Guadalupe
G
Palma-Padilla
Virginia
V
Carreón-Cruz
Rogelio
R
Mejía-Aranguré
Juan Manuel
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012943:Social Security