Abstract
Background and objectiveThere is a lack of updated data regarding pediatric cancer in Kuwait, with no separate childhood cancer registry available in the country prior to this study. We aimed to determine the trends in different cancer types with respect to international statistics, in order to understand their nature and identify gaps in their diagnosis and management.MethodsThis retrospective study was based on data obtained from the first national childhood cancer registry of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Specialized Hospital for Children, the only hospital that manages pediatric cancer patients in Kuwait. The registry included the data of all children with cancer in Kuwait from 2004 to 2017 and had complete data files.FindingsThe total number of patients in the childhood cancer registry was 1,387. A total of 1,009 files met our eligibility criteria. In 2017, the incidence of childhood leukemia was determined to be six per 100,000 people, and for other cancers, it was 12.6 per 100,000 people. The most common cancer was leukemia (457 patients), followed by lymphoma (141 patients), and brain tumors (92 patients). The majority of children received chemotherapy (n=891, 88.3%). Post induction or treatment, the majority of patients achieved complete remission (n=790, 78.3%). The overall survival rate of children with cancer was around 80%. Major complications developed in 9% of patients.ConclusionThese findings highlight the importance of hospital‐based cancer registries. Active data management programs are essential to monitor outcomes, measure the effectiveness of current practice, and improve the quality of care.
Highlights
More than 250,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year
The variability in incidence should be considered with caution because the population of Kuwait obtained from the national statistics center was for ages 0-14 years, and our study population included children aged 0-16 years
Incidence rates were higher in males compared to females, which is consistent with all international statistics [14]
Summary
More than 250,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Statistics for Birth and Deaths, cancer was the second leading cause of death in adults in Kuwait between the years 2015-2017. There are no specific mortality statistics for children below 14 years in Kuwait [2]. A published study based on the data of the Kuwaiti Cancer Registry (KCR) at the Kuwait Cancer. There is a lack of updated data regarding pediatric cancer in Kuwait, with no separate childhood cancer registry available in the country prior to this study. We aimed to determine the trends in different cancer types with respect to international statistics, in order to understand their nature and identify gaps in their diagnosis and management
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