A Retrospective Review on the Histopathological Pattern of Childhood Malignant Solid Tumors in Ethiopia.

Purpose: Globally, 300,000-400,000 cases of childhood cancers are estimated to occur yearly. In low- and middle-income countries, where most children with cancer live, malignancies remain underreported due to lack of quality cancer registries and data. They also tend to be under-diagnosed due to limited access to facilities and insufficient infrastructure to support diagnosis and treatment. Patients and Methods: This study provides epidemiologic data on the histopathological pattern and demographic characteristics of pediatric solid malignancies in children 0-15yrs at Tikur Anbessa Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between January 2016, and August 2020. Results: Within the study period, 432 solid malignancies were evaluated. Among the 401 cases that we were able to classify, the most common solid malignancies were Lymphoma (21.8%), Retinoblastoma (19.4%), and Wilms tumor (13.9%). Burkitt lymphoma accounted for 2.1% of cases, despite being the most reported pediatric malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa. Brain tumors (5.6%) and Neuroblastoma (0.5%) were reported less frequently. Possibly due to detection biases, males were diagnosed more frequently than females (M: F=1.7), with the largest difference being in Lymphomas (M: F=3.5, p=0.001). Conclusion: In this report of pediatric cancer in Ethiopia, we saw similarities with other studies from Africa in terms of tumor types, age, and gender distribution, except for Burkitt lymphoma and neuroblastoma. This study highlights the need for improvements in diagnostic capabilities in low- and middle-income countries as many tumors may be under- or misdiagnosed. Research and diagnosis of malignancies need to be expanded in Ethiopia to improve the wellbeing of children with cancer.