Patterns of childhood solid tumor incidence in northern Israel, 1973-1990

A retrospective analysis of 515 pediatric cancer cases diagnosed over 18 years, 1973-1990, showed an annual incidence of pediatric solid tumors in northern Israel of 77.1 per million, somewhat lower than previously reported. Lymphomas predominated over central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms, suggesting an Afro-Asian rather than a Western pattern. Jewish and non-Jewish children were at approximately equal risk (1:07:1.0) for the nonleukemic cancer. However, there was a notably higher frequency in males than females (1:42:1.0) and in Ashkenasi Jews as compared to either Sephardi Jews (1.25:1.00) or non-Jews (1.23:1.0). Ethnic, age, and sex predispositions for particular types of malignancy were also noted. Non-Jews tended to have lymphomas or retinoblastomas and Sephardi Jews were predisposed to soft tissue sarcomas. Ashkenasi Jews tended to manifest CNS tumors, retinoblastoma, and osteosarcoma. Children under 5 years showed Burkitt's lymphoma and neuroblastoma, whereas the older group tended to have Hodgkin's lymphoma. Boys were more vulnerable to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma, and girls were subject to higher incidences of bone, gonadal, germ cell, and epithelial tumors, as well as to astrocytoma. The implications for genetic or environmental contributions to several cancers are considered in conjunction with ethnic or gender predisposition to those cancers.