Demographics and Outome in Paediatric Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Single Centre Experience at The Children Hospital Lahore, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patient demographics and outcome analysis in paediatric non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients. STUDY DESIGN: An observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Hematology/Oncology Unit of The Children's Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore, from January 2012 till December 2014. METHODOLOGY: Demographics including age, gender, histopathology, stage and outcome data, in biopsy proven NHL patients were analyzed. Burkitts/B Cell and Diffuse Large B Cell lymphoma patients were treated with MCP 842 Protocol while T/B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (LL) patients were treated with EURO-LB 02 protocol. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were treated during the study period at CHL. Data was insufficient in 18 patients, so they were excluded from the study. Patients included were 73. Males were 53 (72.6%). Thirty-seven (50.7%) were 5-10 years of age, and 22 (30.1%) 10-16 years old. Abdominal mass was the commonest presentation seen in 32 (43.8%), lymphadenopathy in 27 (37%), intussusception in 5 (6.8%), while intestinal obstruction, obstructive uropathy, nasopharyngeal mass, gastric mass, primary bone lymphoma, pericardial effusion, jaw swelling, cheek swelling and paraspinal mass present in one (1%) each. Histopathological subtypes consist of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) in 32 (43.8%), B cell NHL in 10 (13.7%), lymphoblastic lymphoma (LL) in 26 (35.6%), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in 2 (2.8%), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) in 1 (1.4%). Sixty-seven (91%) presented in stage III, and six (8.4%) in stage IV. Forty-eight (65.8%) patients had completed treatment and are well to date, 16 (21.9%) died, 5 (6.8%) left against medical advice (LAMA), and 4 (5.5%) patients relapsed. CONCLUSION: Burkitts lymphoma was the commonest type of NHL seen in this cohort that predominantly presented with an abdominal mass. Children usually presented in advanced stage with delayed diagnosis. Better supportive care can improve the prognosis significantly. Training of pediatricians is equally important along with increasing parental/family knowledge about the disease symptoms so that they can seek early medical care, and earlier diagnosis is possible.