What is known?
Limited data is available on survival for children from sub-Saharan Africa who are diagnosed with cancer. The lack of information is challenging in terms of plans to better manage and control childhood cancer in Africa.
What is new?
After accounting for other possible causes of death, survival at three years after diagnosis was less than 60% for each of the 9 different types of childhood cancer included in the study apart from Hodgkin lymphoma. Survival was poorest for Wilms tumours, with only 30% of patients surviving for at least 3 years following diagnosis.
What does this mean?
Further efforts are needed to meet the goal of the World Health Organisation to achieve at least 60% survival for all children affected by cancer globally by 2030. The results from Uganda provide a benchmark against which progress in detection and treatment of childhood cancer in Africa can be compared in the future.
Contact: Danny Youlden
Reference: Liu B, Youlden DR, Wabinga H, Nambooze S, Amulen PM, Aitken JF, Parkin DM. Survival from childhood cancer in Kampala, Uganda. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2021;68(3):e28876.