HEAD AND NECK CANCER DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL'S PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

Abstract

Demographic and clinicopathologic distribution of head and neck malignant tumors in Brazil's pediatric patients is still unknown. Objective: To describe demographic, topographic, and histopathologic features of pediatric patients with head and neck cancer from a single Brazilian institution. Study Design: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all cancer cases diagnosed from 1986 to 2016 affecting patients aged 19 years and younger. The demographic variables (age, sex, race), topographic aspects, and histopathologic diagnoses were collected. Results: A total of 7181 malignant tumors were diagnosed, of which 367 (5.11%) were located in the head and neck region. Mean age at diagnosis was 9.35 years with male (65.67%) predominance. The age group of 10 to 14 years presented with higher prevalence. In terms of race, 73.02% of the patients were white. The main affected anatomic site was the neck and lymph nodes (41.42%), followed by nasopharynx (22.89%), and thyroid gland (6.54%). The most common cancer type was lymphoma (52.86%), followed by carcinoma (22.89%), and sarcoma (19.07%). Burkitt lymphoma, nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma were the most common histopathologic diagnoses (16.62%, 13.08%, 12.81%, and 12.81%, respectively). Conclusions: The present study originally demonstrated that lymphomas may be more frequent than carcinomas and sarcomas in Brazilian pediatric patients. Demographic and clinicopathologic distribution of head and neck malignant tumors in Brazil's pediatric patients is still unknown. Objective: To describe demographic, topographic, and histopathologic features of pediatric patients with head and neck cancer from a single Brazilian institution. Study Design: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all cancer cases diagnosed from 1986 to 2016 affecting patients aged 19 years and younger. The demographic variables (age, sex, race), topographic aspects, and histopathologic diagnoses were collected. Results: A total of 7181 malignant tumors were diagnosed, of which 367 (5.11%) were located in the head and neck region. Mean age at diagnosis was 9.35 years with male (65.67%) predominance. The age group of 10 to 14 years presented with higher prevalence. In terms of race, 73.02% of the patients were white. The main affected anatomic site was the neck and lymph nodes (41.42%), followed by nasopharynx (22.89%), and thyroid gland (6.54%). The most common cancer type was lymphoma (52.86%), followed by carcinoma (22.89%), and sarcoma (19.07%). Burkitt lymphoma, nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma were the most common histopathologic diagnoses (16.62%, 13.08%, 12.81%, and 12.81%, respectively). Conclusions: The present study originally demonstrated that lymphomas may be more frequent than carcinomas and sarcomas in Brazilian pediatric patients.