Patterns, treatments, and outcomes of pediatric central nervous system tumors in Sudan: a single institution experience

PurposeStudies of epidemiology, treatment modalities, and outcomes of childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors in Sudan are scarce. To address this shortcoming, we evaluated baseline information about the epidemiology, treatment types, and outcomes of childhood CNS tumors at the National Cancer Institute, University of Gezira (NCI-UG) in Wad Madani, Sudan.MethodsWe performed a retrospective health facility-based study of children with CNS tumors who were treated at the NCI-UG from January 2000 to December 2015.ResultsA total of 62 (5.4% of all childhood cancers) pediatric patients with CNS tumors were identified over the study period. Tumors were more common among male children and involved the infratentorial compartment in 58% of cases. The median age at diagnosis was 9years (range, 2-14years). Approximately 60% (n=37) of the study population had histology-determined diagnoses. Astrocytomas and medulloblastomas were the most common tumors in these cases. The mean time to diagnosis was 6months (SD, 9). During the study period, the number of children with CNS tumors who were referred for treatment at the NCI-UG increased every year. Of the 37 patients who received surgical interventions, 8 received gross total resections, 20 received partial resections, and 24 received postoperative radiotherapy. The treatment abandonment rate was 11%. The 2-year and 5-year survival rates were 33% and 13%, respectively.ConclusionOur findings reveal a high incidence of poor outcomes for patients with CNS tumors in Sudan, which is most likely due to many distinct factors.