Pattern of rhabdomyosarcoma in Nigerian children.
BACKGROUND
Soft-tissue sarcomas are uncommon tumors that are infrequently seen in most surgical practices. They represent 6.5% of all cancers in children < 15 years of age and are the fifth leading cause of cancer death in that age group. This study was conducted to show the prevalence and pattern of distribution of rhabdomyosarcoma among children in a black African population.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 232 cases of soft-tissue sarcomas that were managed for a period of 22 years (1985-2006). Materials were obtained from the clinical records, operation notes and histopathology reports of the patients. The records of patients with rhabdomyosarcoma were analyzed in details.


RESULTS
The result showed the age peak incidence for the total soft-tissue sarcomas occurring between the third and sixth decades of life. Rhabdomyosarcoma constitutes 9.5% of the total number of patients managed, and 54.5% of these patients are age < 20 years.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that parents must be educated about the need to look out for any mass on their children that persists for > 4 weeks so as to reduce the delayed and advanced stage of presentation.
Adigun
Ismaila A
IA
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. ismailaadigun@yahoo.com
Rahman
Ganiyu A
GA
Buhari
Mikhaila O
MO
Ogundipe
Kolawole O
KO
Omotayo
John A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy