Solid Tumor Incidence and Patterns in Individuals With Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Genetics

Background:

• Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) present a unique solid tumor incidence pattern.
• Specific solid tumor occurrences in DS populations require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the overall burden of solid tumors in individuals with Down syndrome (DS).
• To compare the incidence rates of solid tumors in DS individuals with the general population.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across major scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar).
• Included studies were cohort studies reporting solid tumor incidence in DS individuals.
• Statistical analyses involved random-effects modeling, subgroup analyses, and bias evaluations.

Main Results:

• Fourteen studies comprising 34,561 individuals with DS were analyzed.
• The pooled incidence rate of solid tumors in DS was 95 per 100,000 person-years.
• DS individuals showed a lower overall solid tumor incidence (SIR: 0.69), with reduced rates for breast, skin, lung, and female genital organ cancers.
• Conversely, higher incidences were observed for testicular (SIR: 4.28) and liver (SIR: 3.72) tumors.

Conclusions:

• This study offers a comprehensive epidemiological overview of solid tumors in individuals with Down syndrome.
• Findings highlight the necessity for developing and implementing DS-specific cancer screening protocols.