Paediatric solid tumours in Nigerian children: a changing pattern?
BACKGROUND
Childhood cancer is fast becoming an important paediatric problem in Nigeria and several parts of Africa, with the progressive decline of infectious and nutritional diseases. The following study was a 5-year retrospective review of paediatric solid tumours as seen at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the relative frequencies of childhood solid malignant tumours in Jos, Central Nigeria and compare with reports of previous studies both locally and abroad.


METHODS
Cancer registers and medical records of patients were used to extract demographic data, specimen number and/or codes. Archival materials were retrieved from the histopathology laboratory and sections were made from paraffin embedded blocks of these specimens. Slides of these histological sections were reviewed and reclassified where necessary. The relative frequencies were then determined.


RESULTS
One hundred and eighty one solid tumours of children were diagnosed within the study period. Ninety-four (51%) were benign and 87 (49%) malignant. Male: Female ratio was 1.3:1. The commonest malignant tumour diagnosed was rhabdomyosarcoma which accounted for 27 (31%), comprising of 15 (55.6%), 11 (40.7%) and 1 (3.7%) embryonal, alveolar and pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcomas, respectively. Non Hodgkin lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma accounted for 17 (19.5%) and 12 (13.8%), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on the result of our study, we conclude that the commonest solid malignancy of childhood in Jos, Nigeria is rhabdomyosarcoma. This has implications for diagnosis, management and prognosis of theses soft tissue sarcomas in our paediatric population.
Tanko
Na'anlep M
NM
Department of Histopathology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, PMB 2076, Jos Plateau State, Nigeria. comexet@yahoo.co.uk
Echejoh
Godwin O
GO
Manasseh
Nanfwang A
NA
Mandong
Mafala B
MB
Uba
A F
AF
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*