Hemopoietic and lymphoreticuar malignancies in Iraq

ABSTRACT

Hemopoietic and lymphoreticuar malignancies comprise mainly leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. The annual incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas was reported to be increasing by 3 to 4% in different parts of the developed world during the 1990s, while rates for Hodgkin's disease, myelomas and leukemias were more stable. The aim of this study is to evaluate the pattern of hemopoeitic and lymphoreticuar malignancies diagnosed by bone marrow examination in the largest series of Iraqi patients with the commoner hemopoeitic and lymphoreticuar malignancies. In the largest series of 63923 Iraqi patients with various types of newly diagnosed cancer registered by the Iraqi Ministry of Health from all Iraqi provinces with the exception of 3 Northern provinces [Sulaimanyia, Erbil, and Dohouk] during five-year period [2000-2004]. There were 10330 cases of the commoner hemopoeitic and lymphoreticuar malignancies [leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma] accounting for 16% of the total number of Iraqi patients with cancers. Leukemia was the third most common cancer in Iraq accounting for 7% of all cancers. 4476 cases of leukemia were reported; 2618 [58.5%] in males and1858 [41.5%] in females.1502 cases of Hodgkin disease were registered accounting for all cancer cases. 925 [61.6%] in males and 577 [38.4%] in females. There were 3883 cases of NHL accounting for 6% of all cancers. There were 469 cases of multiple lymphomas accounting for 0.73% of all cancers. In contrast to many western countries, in Iraq the incidence rate of Leukemias is increasing while trends for the other hematolymphopoietic malignancies are strikingly stable