Epidemiology of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of childhood in Brisbane.

The incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of childhood in the Brisbane Statistical Division has been studied. Sixty-four cases occurred during a five-year period. A significant difference between the two subdivisions of the Statistical Division was found, with a higher incidence in Brisbane City than in the surrounding area. The average age at presentation of the leukaemic children within Brisbane City was significantly higher than in the rest of the Brisbane Statistical Division. Various socioeconomic and demographic differences exist between the two populations, and these may be responsible for the variation in leukaemia incidence. The findings indicate the need for further, more detailed, epidemiological studies.

Incidence of childhood tumours in Queensland.

The incidence of childhood cancer in Queensland has been studied using the data of the population-based Queensland Childhood Malignancy Registry. During the 7-year period 1973-1979, 454 cases were registered, giving an annual age-specific incidence of 11.34/10(5) for the age group 0-14 years inclusive. There was a male/female ratio of 1.36. The commonest group of diseases was that of the leukaemias, followed by that of CNS tumours. The incidences of the various types of tumour in Queensland have been compared with those from other reported series. The incidence of leukaemia was midway between that of U.S. whites and that of Manchester, while the incidences of lymphoma and Wilms' tumour were much closer to those of the United States. Ewing's tumour was considerably commoner than osteosarcoma.