Current Realities of Wilms Tumor Burden and Therapy in Ghana.

BACKGROUND

Between 2005 and 2014, Ghana's Wilms tumor (WT) 2-year disease-free survival of 44% trailed behind that of high-income countries. This study aimed to uncover social determinants of health leading to preventable WT death in Ghana.

METHODS

WT patient records (2014-2022) at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH; Ghana) were reviewed retrospectively. Demographics, clinical course, tumor characteristics, and survival were evaluated using t-tests, Pearson Chi-square, and multivariate Cox logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 127 patients identified, 65 were female. Median age was 44 months [IQR 25-66]. Forty-eight patients (38%) presented with distant metastasis (75% lung, 25% liver), which associated with hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.009), caregiver informal employment (p = 0.04), and larger tumors (p = 0.002). Despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy shrinking 84% of tumors, larger initial size associated with incomplete resection (p = 0.046). Of 110 nephrectomies, 31 patients had residual disease, negatively impacting survival (p = 2.7 × 10

CONCLUSIONS

Although Ghana's WT survival has improved, informal employment and distance from KBTH predisposed patients to delayed referral, greater tumor burden, hypoalbuminemia, and lower survival.

TYPE OF STUDY

Prognosis Study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.