Solid tumors of childhood.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in children. There is the need to have the histologic review of malignancies in children from the Indian sub-continent. METHODS: In the present study, malignant tumors received over 12 years were reviewed and re-classified according to classifications based on prognosis. RESULTS: A total of 472 tumors were received over 12 years. Of these 318 were benign and 154 malignant. The commonest malignant solid tumor was lymphoma followed by pediatric renal tumors. The sarcomas included bone tumors, Rhabdomyosarcoma and synovial sarcoma. There were 13 germ cell tumors, 10 retinoblastomas and six neuroblastomas. CONCLUSION: The review revealed that a definite diagnosis or classification was not assigned in 21 cases in the original reporting. Of these 14 could be assigned a definite category on review and immuno-staining. These included five non-Wilms sarcomas, four Rhabdomyosarcomas, three Ewing's sarcoma/PNETs and two Synovial sarcomas. The study also revealed an unexpected high percentage (11%) of epithelial malignancies in children.