LEUKAEMIAS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ: RISK AND MANAGEMENT

By: Basrah Cancer Research Group (BCRG)

Participating Researchers

Asaad AA Khalaf¹, Janan G Hasan,² Laith A Alrudainy³, Hasson Mahdi Hasson⁴, Husam M Salih⁵, Omran S. Habib⁶,  Mohammed K Dorki⁷

ABSTRACT

Background: In Basrah, previous studies reported increased risk of certain cancers including leukaemia. Two important features were reported: a rise in the incidence rate of leukaemias in children and an age shift towards younger children. These studies were limited by the incompleteness of data they used.

Objectives: This paper is intended to present a profile on leukaemia in

Basrah over the years 2005-2008.

Methods: The cases of leukaemia presented in this paper represent all cases diagnosed, treated and registered in Basrah during the years 2005-2008. The cases were drawn from the pool of cancer registries in various health care institutions dealing with cancer.

Results: during the four years 2005-2008, it was possible to identify 616 cases of leukaemia; 56.5% were among males and 43.5% were among females. More than half the cases (55.0%) were from Basrah, 26.1% from Thi Qar, 13.5% from Missan and 5.3% were from other governorates. The age specific incidence rate in Basrah showed a bimodal distribution with higher rates at extreme ages. The crude incidence rate was 3.75 per 100000 population and the age standardized incidence rate was 4.56 per 100000 population.

Conclusions: Leukaemia is a significant malignant disease in Basrah. The incidence rate is likely to have increased over time but the overall risk is within the range in Arab Region.

¹ (FIBMS), Internist and Medical Oncologist, Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital Basrah.

²(ACPB), Assistant professor and Paediatrics Oncologist, College of Medicine, University of Basrah

³ (PhD), Lecturer, Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Basrah

⁴(FIBMS), Internist and Medical Oncologist, Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital, Basrah

⁵(FIBMS), Paeditrician, Basrah Maternity and children hospital

⁶(Ph.D.), Professor of Epidemiology and Health Care, Department of Community, Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Basrah