title: Childhood cancer frequency in the center of Tunisia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this paper, we analyzed the frequency of childhood cancer in the Center of Tunisia during 1993-2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  The different types of cancer were grouped according to the International Classification for Cancer in Children. The general and specific frequencies by age and by sex were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 727 new cases of childhood cancer were registered, with a male to-female sex ratio of 1.7/1. Leukemias had the highest frequency (27%) and, of these, lymphoid leukemias were the most prevalent (73.5%). Thereafter, in descending order of frequency, were lymphomas (25.7%), tumors of the central nervous system (CNS, 9.2%), neuroblastomas (7.7%), sarcomas (6.9%), carcinomas (6.3%), bone tumors (5.8%), nephroblastomas (5.5%), and germinal cell tumors (2.6%). The highest frequency of cancer was found at age 10-14 years (34.9%). Leukemias were the most frequent in age groups 1-4 and 5-9 years, whereas, neuroblastomas and lymphomas were the most frequent at age under one year and 10-14 years, respectively. Of those cases of solid tumors, 55.8% were diagnosed as having advanced stages of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leukemias, lymphomas, and CNS tumors were the principal cancers in the Center of Tunisia. A childhood cancer registry with high-resolution data collection is advocated for in-depth analysis of pediatric malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Farhet Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia. missaouinabiha@live.fr
authors.forename: Nabiha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Missaoui
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khouzemi
authors.forename: Hanene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Landolsi
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jaidene
authors.forename: Soumaya Ben
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Abdelkrim
authors.forename: Atef Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Abdelkader
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beizig
authors.forename: Mohamed Tahar
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Yaacoubi
authors.forename: Sihem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hmissa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology