Presentation and Types of Childhood Cancer at the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), 2023

BACKGROUNDIn sub-Saharan Africa in Tanzania, with an incidence of 1.4/100,000 cases. A lot of cancer cases in Tanzania are not diagnosed until later because there arent many healthcare institutions offering cancer-related care and treatment. Cancer that manifests in its late stages not only reduces survival chances but also places a heavy load on the healthcare system. a lower-middle-income nation, has numerous barriers to receiving treatment for childrens malignancies. The research aims to study the clinical presentation and types of childhood cancer at the Muhimbili National Hospital. METHODSA hospital-based cross-sectional survey and convenience sample technique were used to assess the presentation and association factors of childhood cancer. Descriptive statistics and statistical analysis to assess associations among variables were performed through chi2 and one-way ANOVA. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS141 patients were assessed; the most common types of cancer were Blastoma and Leukaemia between 1 and 5 years. The Sukuma tribe had the highest percentage of patients. Most of the patients came from Dar es Salaam. The majority of patients presented with masses and abdominal distention. There was a statistically significant difference between family history and the type of cancer, between the stage of disease and response to treatment, and between the ages across types of cancer. There is no statistical difference or association between the type of cancer and the history of chronic illness or exposure. CONCLUSIONChildhood cancer has high mortality and morbidity in Tanzania. Most of the patients die before 5 years old, and patients come to the hospital with a late-stage disease with serious symptoms. Other patients didnt complete treatment, which may be due to financial problems or a low level of education among carers.