1. Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of children receiving
External Beam Radiation Therapy in a
tertiary care centre from South India
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Bharathi.D , Manavalan.M, Karunanidhi.G, Parthasarathy.V, Sethi.P
Regional Cancer Centre, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India
19th- 22nd
JUNE,2019
INTRODUCTION
The most common solid tumours were CNS tumours (n=37,23.3%) followed by Genitourinary tumours(n=13,8.2%), sarcomas(n=8,5%), other tumours(n=7,4.2%). The most common indication for radiation treatment were Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation  (n=77,47.8%), Adjuvant (n=47,29.6%), Radical (n=22,13.8%), Palliative (n=12, 7.5%) and Neoadjuvant (n=1,0.6%). Most children had received chemotherapy (n=124,78%) and prior surgery was done in some patients (n=45,28.3%).
Paediatric tumours are relatively uncommon when compared to adult cancers. More than 80% of all childhood cancer cases are occurring in low- and middle-income countries.1 Avoidable deaths from childhood cancers in LMICs result from lack of diagnosis, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, obstacles to accessing care, abandonment of treatment, death from toxicity, and higher rates of relapse. Hence ascertaining the clinic-pathological profile of childhood cancers is essential for allocation and management of resources.
To retrospectively study the clinical and epidemiological profile of all children age less than 15 years attending Radiation Oncology Department, in JIPMER Regional Cancer Centre, Puducherry, between 2013 and 2017.
The clinical details and treatment charts of children aged less than 15 years who received EBRT for the years were collected and studied. The demographical and treatment-related data were analysed and expressed as descriptive statistics.
Total patients of age less than 15 years registered under Hospital Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) were 468 during the years One Hundred and fifty-nine children age less than 15 years, were treated with EBRT during that time. Mean age at presentation was 7.8 years. Male to Female ratio was 1.48:1. The commonest malignancy was ALL (n=78,49.1%).
AIM
Age group 0-4
Age group 5-9
Age group 10-14
Leukemias
26(52.4%)
25(47.2%)
28(48.3%)
Lymphomas
0(0%)
8(15.1%)
7(12.1%)
CNS tumours
12(25%)
16(30.2%)
9(15.5%)
Sarcomas
3(6.2%)
5(8.6%)
Genitourinary
7(14.6%)
3(5.7%)
3(5.2%)
Others
1(1.9%)
6(10.3%)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Type of RT technique
 Number
 Percentage
3DCRT
101
63.5%
IMRT 7
4.4%
VMAT 35
22%
SRS 1
0.6% 2D 15
9.4%
RESULTS
Conclusions
The proportion of childhood cancers relative to cancers in all age groups varied between %, as reported from the Population-Based Cancer Registries of India in Radiation therapy forms a part of the multimodality treatment of childhood cancers. Although in Paediatric malignancies role of radiation therapy is restricted owing to risks related to hormonal imbalance, growth retardation, the risk of second malignancies, as per our records 33% of the paediatric patients required Radiation Therapy. In our centre, 90.6% were treated with advanced radiation techniques to prevent late toxicity. 
REFERENCES
Barr R, Riberio R, Agarwal B, Masera G, Hesseling P, Magrath I. Pediatric oncology in countries with limited resources. In: Pizzo PA, Poplack DG, editors. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; p
Chapter 4 of Three year Report of Population Based cancer Registries
Age groups
Frequency
Percentage
1-4 48
30.2%
5-9 53
33.3%
10-14 58
36.5%
PRIMARY DISEASE
Frequency
Percentage
Hematolymphoid 94
59.1%
CNS tumours 37
23.3%
Sarcomas 8 5%
Genitourinary 13
8.2%
Others 7
4.3%