Profile of Malignancies in Children Under 2 Years of Age- Study From a Tertiary Care Cancer Center in South India

Abstract

Abstract: Aim: Pediatric cancers are characterized by high cure rate and rarity of cancers of epithelial origin. There's a significant heterogeneity in the histologic variants of pediatric cancers as we consider different age groups. This study aims at analyzing the profile of malignancies in children under two years of age. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective data analysis done over a period of five years starting from January 2009, at a cancer center in South India. Histopathological confirmation was made mandatory for all cases. Malignancies were classified based on the International Classification of Childhood Cancer. Results: Males were more commonly affected. Acute leukemia was the most common malignancy in this age group followed by Wilms tumor and neuroblastoma. Treatment refusal/abandonment rate was relatively high with 37% opting out.