title: Clinico-epidemiology of neuroblastoma in north east Egypt: A 5-year multicenter study.
abstract: Neuroblastoma, an embryonal malignancy of the sympathetic nervous system, is the most frequent extracranial solid tumor The clinico-epidemiological features of neuroblastoma in infants and children were investigated between January 2005 and January 2010 at the Pediatric Oncology units of Mansoura, Zagazig, and Tanta University Children's Hospitals (Egypt). Of 142 cases of neuroblastoma, 10 were omitted from the study due to defective data. The median age of the patients was 30 months, with 75.8% aged ≥1 year and 24.2% aged <1 year at time of diagnosis. The male-to-female ratio was 1.06. Suprarenal glands were the most common primary tumor site (72.7%). The majority of the patients (76.7%) had stage IV disease. Favorable pathology was observed in 43.8% of patients, while 56.2% exhibited unfavorable pathology. The estimated survival rate of patients was 30.7±10.0%, and mean survival time was 24.2±5.2 months. The rate of mortality was 28.6% for patients aged <1 year, and 81.8% for those aged ≥1 year (P=0.005). For patients with favorable pathology, the rate of mortality was significantly lower (28.6%) compared with that of patients with unfavorable pathology (77.8%; P=0.049). Although the association between outcome and each of the primary tumor sites, children's oncology group risk and gender was statistically insignificant, a large effect size was identified between outcome and primary tumor site, as well as children's oncology group risk and a medium effect size was identified between outcome and gender. Additionally, an age of ≥1 year was associated with unfavorable pathology (P=0.024), stage IV disease (P=0.026) and a suprarenal primary tumor site (P=0.001).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Mansoura, Dakahlia 35516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Al-Tonbary
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Zagazig University Children's Hospital, Zagazig, Sharqia 44111, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Badr
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Mansoura, Dakahlia 35516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Zagazig University Children's Hospital, Zagazig, Sharqia 44111, Egypt.
authors.forename: Usama
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: El Safy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Tanta University Children's Hospital, Tanta, Gharbia 31111, Egypt.
authors.forename: Shebl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Zagazig University Children's Hospital, Zagazig, Sharqia 44111, Egypt.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Mansoura, Dakahlia 35516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rasha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elashery
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Zagazig University Children's Hospital, Zagazig, Sharqia 44111, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rofida
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nofal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Mansoura, Dakahlia 35516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darwish
keywords: epidemiology; neuroblastoma