Document Type : Research Articles
Authors
1
Department of Radiation Oncology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences and Cancer Research Center, Pokhara, Nepal.
2
Department of Community Medicine, Manipal College of Medical Sciences and Cancer Research Center, Pokhara, Nepal.
3
Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
4
Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Kasturba Medical College – Manipal, Manipal University, Manipal, India.
5
St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
6
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
7
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, India.
Abstract
Childhood cancers form a rare and heterogeneous group which fortunately have a higher cure rate than adult cancers. A few non-profit organizations in Nepal have extended support to help patients suffering from cancer, but their main focus has been on adults. The objective of this study was to establish the pattern of childhood cancers in the Western region of Nepal. We reviewed cases receiving external radiotherapy with both palliative and curative intent between 28th September 2010 and 30th September 2015 at the Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Manipal Teaching Hospital affiliated with Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal. Of the total of 1217 cases, 2.71% involved children. The gender distribution showed a male preponderance (M:F= 1.35:1). The patients’ mean age was 11.4 years (range 2 - 14 years). Considering the caste, Brahmins and Gurungs constituted 33.0% and 21.2%, respectively, of children with cancer.
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