Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026
An Efficient and Simple Method to Establish NK and T Cell Lines from Patients with Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection
Published on: March 30, 2018
Epidemiology of Burkitt's lymphoma in Enugu, Nigeria
Tagbo Oguonu1, Ifeoma Emodi, Winifred Kaine
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, PMB 01129, Enugu, Nigeria. udebue@infoweb.abs.net
Insights
Burkitt
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Epidemiology
- Tropical Medicine
Background:
- Burkitt's lymphoma is a significant childhood cancer in tropical regions.
- Understanding its epidemiological characteristics and treatment outcomes is crucial for improving patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the epidemiological features of Burkitt's lymphoma in Nigerian children.
- To evaluate the treatment outcomes of different chemotherapy regimens.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of 44 children diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma.
- Data collected on patient demographics, clinical presentation, socio-economic status, and treatment protocols.
- Statistical analysis to determine associations between incidence, season, malaria transmission, and outcomes.
Main Results:
- The mean age was 7.6 years, with a male:female ratio of 2.7:1.
- Most patients were from rural areas, lowest socio-economic class, and incidence correlated with dry season and malaria transmission.
- Abdominal tumors were the most common presentation; multi-drug chemotherapy (COMP) showed better results with 48% complete remission, but 36% mortality.
Conclusions:
- Epidemiological profile aligns with other tropical regions, highlighting environmental factors like malaria.
- Multi-drug chemotherapy regimens are more effective than single agents.
- Significant mortality rate underscores the need for improved interventions and early diagnosis.
Abstract:
Forty-four children between 3 and 14 years of age with Burkitt's lymphoma were studied at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria from November 1991 to March 1995. Mean age at presentation was 7.6 years with a male:female ratio of 2.7:1. Eighty-six per cent of the patients lived in a rural area. Of the 23 (52%) from Enugu State, 16 were living in contiguous local government areas with ten clustered round the middle of the year. All the children were of the lowest socio-economic class, 75% of them being in class V. The incidence of Burkitt's lymphoma was higher during the dry season and the period of high malaria transmission (p < 0.05). Abdominal tumour was the commonest mode of presentation (32% of patients). Thirty-six patients were treated with cyclophosphamide, Oncovin, methotrexate and predinisolone (COMP), five received cyclophosphamide alone and three had cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and prednisolone (CMP). Multi-drug regimens achieved better results which were significantly unrelated to the number of cycles of therapy received. Overall, 48% had complete and 35% partial remission, 23% relapsed and 16 (36%) patients died. The epidemiological characteristics of Burkitt's lymphoma in this study were similar to those in other tropical regions.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Encephalitis l: Introduction
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...