Abstract:

Childhood diseases, pediatric cancer burden, Baptist Hospital Mutengene, Cameroon.

The pattern of disease burden has changed worldwide in past decades. Non communicable diseases, including cancers, are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in both high income countries (HICs)and low and middle income countries (LMICs). Pediatric oncology is not seen as a child health priority in most LICs like Cameroon amongst many others where pediatric cancer data are fragmented. The objective of this study was to generate data on childhood diseases at Baptist Hospital Mutengene(BHM) and to measure the burden attributed to pediatric cancerusing incidence, mortality, cancer related admission and quality of life in cancer survivors in order to guide resource allocation to the pediatric ward. A retrospective cohort study and a secondary data analysis were conducted from 2006 to 2013. Communicable diseases (malaria, chest infection and diarrhea) constitute the main burden of childhood diseases at BHM based on incidence and mortality. Pediatric cancers led by Burkitt lymphoma are contributing to an extent to the burden of childhood diseases with a proportionate incidence of 1 to 2 cases per 1000 per year and an admission rate of 31.8 per 1000 per year. 26 (13%) of 193 Burkitt lymphoma patients suffered a disability in the course of their illness and treatment and 2 (7.6% of the 26 but 1% of the 193) had a permanent disability due to Burkitt lymphoma, the leading pediatric cancer at BHM .Pediatric cancers contribute to increasing the burden of childhood diseases at BHM based on incidence, admission rate and quality of life of cancer survivors.

References:

[1]. Magrath I, Steliarova-Foucher E, Sidnei E, Ribeiro RC, Harif M, et al (2013). Pediatric cancer in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet Oncol 14: 3104–3116 [PubMed]

[2]. Gupta S, Rivera-Luna R, Ribeiro RC et al (2014). Pediatric Oncology as the Next Global Child Health Priority: The need for national childhood cancer strategies in low- and middle-income countries, PLoS Med. Jun 2014; 11(6): e1001656. Published online Jun 17, 2014.doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001656 PMCID: PMC4061014

[3]. Howard SC, Metzger ML, Wilimas JA, Quintana Y, Pui C-H, et al (2008). Childhood cancer epidemiology in low-income countries. Cancer 112: 461–472 [PubMed]

[4]. Jemal A, Bray F, Forman D, O’Brien M, et al (2012).Cancer burden in Africa and opportunities for prevention. Cancer 2012;118:4372-84. VC 2012 American Cancer Society.

[5]. Gopal S, Wood WA,Hesseling PB, Mitsuyasu RT (2012).Meeting the challenge of hematologic malignancies in sub-Saharan Africa. www.bloodjournal.org online March 28, 2012 doi:10.1182/blood-2012-02-387092 originally published online 2012 119: 5078-5087.

[6]. World Child Cancer (2013). Project facts sheet for Cameroon. www.worldchildcancer.org

[7]. Melissa MH; Ann CM; Yutaka Y, et al(2013) Health Status of Adult Long-term Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer. JAMA. 2003;290(12):1583-1592 (doi:10.1001/jama.290.12.1583)

[8]. Jeremy S. Slone mail, Chunda-Liyoka C, Perez M et al(2013).Pediatric Malignancies, treatment outcomes and abandonment of pediatric cancer treatment in Zambia: Published: February 21, 2014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.008910

[9]. Enow-Orock G. E, Pondy A, Doumpe P, Koki N, Lemerle J(2012).A pediatric oncology group pilot study on childhood cancers at the Chantal Biya Foundation Yaounde, Cameroon: Report of 350 cases. Scientific research and essays Vol. 7(25), pp. 2237-2241, 5 July, 2012. Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SRE

[10]. Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board (2013), Activity report. www.cbchealthservices.org

[11]. Enoworock G. (2013).Childhood cancer in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Proceedings of the second CBC childhood cancer symposium.A decade of dedication. 29 Nov 2013. CBC health services complex, Mutengene.

[12]. Jeong Lim Kim, Kyoung-Hee Cho, Eun-Cheol,Woo Hyun Cho (2014). A single measure of cancer burden combining incidence with mortality rates for worldwide application. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 15 (1), 433-439.

[13]. Bray F, Ren JS, Masuyer E, Ferlay J (2013). Global estimates of cancer prevalence for 27 sites in the adult population in 2008. Int J Cancer, 132, 1133-45.

[14]. Bray F, MÃller B (2006). Predicting the future burden of cancer. Nat Rev Cancer, 6, 63-74

[15]. Valsecchi MG, Steliarova-Foucher E (2008). Cancer registration in developing countries: luxury or necessity? Lancet Oncol 9: 159–167. doi: 10.1016/s1470-2045(08)70028-7

[16]. Ribeiro RC, Steliarova-Foucher E, Magrath I, Lemerle J, Eden T, et al (2008). Baseline status of paediatric oncology care in ten low-income or mid-income countries receiving my child matters support: a descriptive study. Lancet Oncol 9: 721–729. doi: 10.1016/s1470-2045(08)70194-3

[17]. Bonita R, BeagleholeR,KjellströmT (2006). Measuring health and disease Chapter 2, Basic epidemiology 2^ndedition. World Health Organization

[18]. Stefan DC, Baadjes B, Kruger M (2014).Incidence of childhood cancer in Namibia-the need for registries in Africa.The Pan African Medical Journal. 2014;17:191. Permanent link: http://www.panafrican-med journal.com/content/article/17/191/full. Doi:10.11604/pamj.2014.17.191.3830

[19]. UNAIDS 2014 PROGRESS REPORT ON THE GLOBAL PLAN towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive

[20]. WHO (2014).World malaria report, global malaria programme, World Health Organization, 2014 updates

[21]. Hesseling PB.(2012). The SIOP Burkitt lymphoma pilot study in Malawi. Medical and pediatric oncology 200; 34:142