Childhood malignancies in Barbados (1985-1989): incidence and survival - abstract

ABSTRACT

The lack of frequency data on childhood malignancies in the Caribbean prompted this 5-year (1985-1989) retrospective study of childhood malignancy in Barbados. Case finding of malignancies in children <15-years-old attending the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados was undertaken by reviewing medical and other related records for the period of study. Health statistics for the island were obtained from the Statistics Department of the Ministry of Health. There were 44 cases of childhood malignancy of whom 15 died, representing about 0.3 to 1 per cent of all cancer deaths annually. The average annual incidence of childhood cancer for the 5-year-period was 143.5 per million children. Fourteen types of childhood malignancies were found, and the commonest types were brain tumours (27 per cent) and haematological cancers (27 per cent) (AU)