THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LEUKEMIA IN KUWAIT

This study reports the occurrence of leukemia subtypes in Kuwait between 1979 and 1989. The cases were analyzed by age, sex, Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti nationality status. Of the total 723 cases, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was the most frequent (44.2%), exhibited a peak incidence in the 0-4 years age group and was also the most common leukemia of childhood (90.5%). Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) constituted 32.4% of leukemia and showed a progressive increase in incidence with age. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) constituted 14.8% and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) 8.6% of all cases. The incidence, age and sex distribution of ALL, AML and CML was similar to that in the developed Western countries while the lesser frequency of CLL was similar to that in the Orient. This pattern of leukemia subtypes may be related to the population structure consisting of the predominantly young in Kuwait, and the peak incidence of ALL in the very young to the socio-economic conditions.