293 paediatric cancers registered

About 293 paediatric cancers (age 0-14) were registered in 2018 accounting for 3,7% of all cancers in the country amid calls to scale up awareness programmes, the Zimbabwe National Cancer registry has revealed.

The most common paediatric cancers are leukemia (18%), renal tumours (17%), retinoblastoma (15%), lymphoma (13%), soft tissue sarcomas (11%), central nervous system tumours (8%) and bone tumours (6%).

Addressing stakeholders during the World Childhood Cancer Day commemorations organised by KidzCan, Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer focal person Loice Hlatshwayo said they faced challenges including late presentation of patients mainly due to lack of awareness, delayed diagnosis as well as treatment abandonment mainly due to financial constraints.

“These problems are not just unique to our country, but are common in most low- and middle-income countries and to address this in 2018, the World Health Organisation launched, with the support of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer to provide leadership and technical assistance to governments. The goal is to achieve at least 60% survival for all children with cancer by 2030,” she said.

“Zimbabwe was chosen in May 2022 to become one of the focus countries of this initiative and currently various programmes are underway to achieve the goal of at least 60% survival by 2030. The Ministry of Health has also partnered KidzCan in providing essential diagnostics and treatment for children with cancer.”

 Speaking at the same event, oncologist Bothwell Mbuwayesango thanked KidzCan for aiding their work as they offer assistance for treatment services like scans and X-rays.

 “I appreciate the role being played by KidzCan as they have lessened our jobs as surgeons because we can now treat children whose tests have already been made. We don’t have to scratch our heads and lose sleep over the size and extent of damage of the organ to be operated on,” he said.

 The global burden of cancer is increasing with 400 000 children aged between 0 and 19 estimated to develop cancer each year with about 90% of these occurring in low- to middle-income countries.