Epidemiology of childhood cancer and the SACCSG tumour registry

Abstract

The occurrence of childhood cancer in Africa varies considerably from the pattern reported in USA or Europe. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in children in Western countries while in Africa is not classified between the 10 most common causes of death. Infections, nutritional disease, HIV, TB remain the most important pediatric health problem in developing countries. However 80% of total cancers in childhood occur in developing countries with a considerable lower rate of survival than in the developed countries.
The relative frequency of tumors in South Africa for the period 1987-1993 was reported at the first continental meeting of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) in Africa in 1994 with an overall incidence of only 76 new cases per million children suggesting that the data was incomplete. There is an obvious need for accurate cancer reporting in South Africa, as a base for epidemiological studies.