Childhood cancer incidence and survival 1985-2009, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

BACKGROUND The Khon Kaen Cancer Registry (KKCR) was established in 1984. Previous population-based incidences and survivals of childhood cancer in Thailand were determined using a short cancer registration period. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were retrieved of all children residing in Khon Kaen, between 0-15 years, diagnosed as having cancer and registered in the KKCR (1985-2009). The follow-up censored date was December 31, 2012. The childhood cancers were classified into 12 diagnostic groups, according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer. The incidence was calculated by the standard method. Survival of childhood cancer was investigated using the KKCR population-based registration data and overall survival calculated using the Kaplan Meier method. RESULTS In the study period, 912 newly diagnosed cases of childhood cancer were registered. The respective mean and median age was 6.4 (SD=4.6) and 6 (0-14) years. The age-peak for incidence was 0-4 years. The age-standardized rate (ASR) was 83 per million. Leukemia was the most common cancer (N=360, ASR 33.8) followed by neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS, N=150, ASR 12.8) and lymphoma (N=79, ASR 7.0). The follow-up duration totaled 101,250 months. The death rate was 1.11 per 100 person-months (95%CI: 1.02 -1.20). The 5-year overall survival was 52% (95%CI: 53-56.9) for all cancers. The respective 5-year overall survival for (1) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), (2) acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL), (3) lymphoma, (4) germ cell tumors, (5) renal tumors, (6) retinoblastoma, (7) soft tissue tumors, (8) CNS tumors, (9) bone tumors, (10) liver tumors, and (11) neuroblastoma was (1) 51%, (2) 37%, (3) 63%, (4) 74%, (5) 67%, (6) 55%, (7) 46%, (8) 44%, (9) 36%, (10) 34%, and (11) 25%. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of childhood cancer is lower than those of western countries. Respective overall survival for ALL, lymphoma, renal tumors, liver tumors, retinoblastoma, soft tissue tumors is lower than that reported in developed countries while survival for CNS tumors, neuroblastoma and germ cell tumors is comparable.