Multicentre study of bone tumours.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Orthopedics
• Public Health

Background:

• Bone tumours present significant challenges in Lagos due to late presentation and limited resources.
• Cultural beliefs and practices can also impede appropriate management of bone tumours.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinico-pathologic patterns of primary bone tumours in Lagos.
• To understand the epidemiological characteristics of bone tumours in the region.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of primary bone tumour cases over 2.5 decades.
• Data collected from National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and Havana Specialist Hospital (HSH).
• Analysis of patient age, gender, and tumour type.

Main Results:

• 698 cases were reviewed, with a mean age of 25.8 years, peaking in the 11-20 age group.
• Males were more commonly affected (60.6%) with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1.
• 51.0% of tumours were benign, and 49.0% were malignant. Osteosarcoma (28.2%), osteochondroma (15.2%), and osteoclastoma (11.2%) were the most frequent types.

Conclusions:

• Primary bone tumours are on the rise in Lagos, Nigeria.
• The tumours predominantly affect males and teenagers.
• Common primary bone tumours include osteochondroma, osteosarcoma, and osteoclastoma, with a near-equal incidence of benign and malignant types.