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Burkitt's lymphoma is the most common childhood ovarian tumour in Zaria, northern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is an occasional incidental finding in nodular goitres, but there has been no formal study on this disease in our centre which is located in an endemic goitrous region. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and pattern of malignant growths in multinodular goitres. METHODOLOGY: This is a seven year (2000-2006) retrospective study of all histologically diagnosed malignancies within nodular goitres at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano RESULTS: There were 160 multinodular goitres during the study period, out of which 24 (15.0%) had histologically diagnosed cancer and one out of the thirteen patients with solitary thyroid nodule (7.6%) had carcinoma. The ages of the patients with carcinoma ranged from 16 to 65 years, with a mean age of 38.8 years. Eighteen (72%) were females, and 7(28%) were males. Six out of the 25 cases of carcinoma were detected preoperatively by fine needle aspiration cytology. Well differentiated follicular carcinoma was the predominant histological type in 13 (52%) cases, followed by papillary in ten (40%), medullary carcinoma in one (4%) and anaplastic carcinoma in one (4%) patient. CONCLUSION: One-seventh of nodular goitres in our centre harboured malignancy, and follicular carcinoma was the prevalent histological type. This

Background and objective: Childhood cancer, a 7ising problem in Nigeria, has received little or no attention in the past. We describe the pattern and distribution of cancer in children in Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria, to increase awareness on the diseases and highlight their prevalence. Design: A retrospective, descriptive study of the pattern oj solid cancel's diagnosed in children under 15 years at UDUTH Hospital from 1999-2004. Methodology: All cases of paediatric cancers diagnosed in the period reviewed using the signed-out histology and cytology reports, microscopic slides and paraffin blocks ojpatient.s' biopsies that had been stored serially on a yearly basis. Demographic Information was collected on each patient included in the study. The results were tabulated and analyzed and are presented in form of simple frequency table and bar chart. Results: 158 cases of pathologically diagnosed childhoo cancers were analyzed. The peak age was in the 5-9 years age group with a slight male preponderance. The highest frequencies were observed for Burkitt's lymphoma and retinoblastoma. Tumours oJ brain and bone were rare. Conclusion: The patt~i n of paediatric cancer Is comparable with that previously reported in other regions of Nigeria and confirms the general impression that these malignancies are under diagnosed in our own environment. This study further highlights the need f~r the provision of modem facilities for early childhood cancer detection, diagnosis, registration and-..!herapyin all regions of the country.

BACKGROUND: Cancer of the nasopharynx poses diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties because of the hidden nature of the nasopharyngeal space, which allows for significant spread of the disease before diagnosis and hence poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and histological characteristics of nasopharyngeal cancer in a tertiarty health institution in Northern Nigeria. METHODS:Clinical features of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer presenting at the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic of a University Teaching Hospital in North western Nigeria seen over a five-year period were analysed. RESULT: A total number of 30 cases, [22(73.3%) males and 8(27.7%) females] with a male to female ratio of 2.8:1 were seen. The mean age was 39.1years with the fourth decade of life recording the highest number of 16 cases(53.3%) and the least in the thirth decade. The commonest clinical features were neck swelling caused by cervical lymphadenopathy 28(93.3%), epistaxis 25(83.3%), nasal obstruction 20(66.7%),and deafness 11(36.7%).Others were otalgia 9(30%), palatal swelling 8(26.7%),cranial nerve involvement 7(23.3%) and visual impairment 6(20%). According to the UICC 1997 staging for nasopharyngeal carcinoma,23(76.7%) and 7(23.3%) were T3 and T4 or stages III and IV respectively.The histological diagnoses were squamous cell carcinoma 23(76.7%) cases, non-Hodgkins lymphoma 3(10%) cases, plasmacytoma 2(6.7%) cases, rhabdomyosarcoma one (3.3%) case, karposis sarcoma one (3.3%) cases. Seventeen (56.7%) patients though accepted in principle never went for radiotherapy. Only 2(6.7%) were still alive three and six years respectively from the time of diagnosis after chemoradiation while all others (93.3%) had died within one year of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Nasopharyngeal cancer in Northern Nigeria is characterised by presentation with advanced disease, high mortality and low 5-year survival rates. Free or highly subsidized medical programme for early detection and treatment will reduce the high mortality rate associated with nasopharyngeal cancer in this region. WAJM 2009; 28(3): 151-155.