Child cancer profile in a West Amazon state in 2018

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the profile of childhood cancer in a western Amazon state in 2018. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, exploratory and descriptive study conducted in the high complexity care unit of a large hospital in Acre. The study population consisted of 49 children aged 0 to 10 years diagnosed with cancer and treated at the study site in 2018. RESULTS: The data indicate that the majority of children (38.8%) were in the age group between 05 and 07 years, male (57.0%), mixed race (34.7%), and most of them were from the municipality of Rio Branco (39.0%). The most frequent types of cancers were leucemias (48.0%), followed by central nervous system cancer (18.0%) and soft tissue sarcoma (10.0%). In the year of diagnosis, the year of 2018 the 19 cases prevailed and it is also observed that the number of occurrences showed a growth trend from 2015. Regarding the outcome of the cases, most children follow up 40 (82.0%), and 6 (12.0%) evolved to death and 1 (2.0%) to cure. CONCLUSION: It was observed that childhood cancer is a current and growing problem, predominantly in male children aged 2 to 7 years, of color/mixed race. Leukemia and chemotherapy represented the most frequent type of cancer and treatment, respectively. Strategies are recommended to address early diagnosis and treatment to cope with the problem.