Prevalence and risk of leukemia in the multi-ethnic population of North Karnataka.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to analyze the trends in the incidence rates of four major types of leukemia in the population of North Karnataka, which accounts for the 2.5% of the whole population of India. Due to the lack of any nationwide leukemia screening program, the majority of the people are not aware of the disease. Epidemiological study can play a vital role in understanding the occurrence and outcome of the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS Focusing on variables like age, sex, race, blood group and lifestyle habits, detailed reports of 417 males and 230 females (M:F ratio 1.8:1) were collected from different hospitals of North Karnataka and analyzed for their risk of leukemia. RESULTS Compared to female patients, Hindu males were found to have greater risk of occurrence of leukemia (p=0.0333). The males of scheduled caste (SC) and Lingayat communities showed a high risk than other communities (p=0.000). The occurrence of AML showed a significant relationship with ABO blood groups (p=0.0090). The frequency of leukemia is quite high in Belgaum district when compared to others districts of North Karnataka and totally absent in Bidar district. The reasons need precise molecular and genetical studies of the population. CONCLUSIONS The localized communities of Lingayat and SCs needs to be further studied to get a better understanding of the higher risk of occurrence of leukemia in males. Moreover, since the spectrum of cancer epidemiology seen in India is different from that in developed countries more emphasis should be placed on better development of regional and national registries.