Incidence, Mortality and Survival of Pediatric Cancer in Uruguay 2011-2015

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood cancer is a small proportion of all cancers but is still a major public health problem. Objective: To describe the 5-year incidence and mortality rates and net survival of childhood cancer in Uruguay. Method: Data on all malignant tumors diagnosed in children aged 0-14 were included for the period 2011-2015, obtained from the National Pediatric Registry of Cancer and from the Ministry of Health Mortality Registry, classified according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer (ICCC-3). Information on the total population was obtained from national census records. Follow up was made until December 2020. Results: The standardized incidence rate was 128/million children per year. The distribution of the disease was similar to developed countries. The overall mortality rate was 28.2/million, with a net overall survival of 79.6% for the total population. Conclusion: Childhood cancer incidence in Uruguay is similar to developed countries. Progress in diagnosis and care have improved survival immensely, but efforts must continue to keep this trend and ameliorate the outcomes.