Abstract 4: Evolving Pediatric Cancer Outcomes in Tanzania: A Nine-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract Purpose: Pediatric cancer survival rates show substantial global disparities, with the 5-year survival rate in Sub-Saharan Africa estimated at only 8.1% compared with over 80% in high-income countries. In 2014, a partnership between Bugando Medical Center (BMC), a tertiary hospital in Tanzania, and Duke Global Oncology was established to address these disparities. This study aims to evaluate pediatric cancer outcomes at BMC from 2014 to 2022. Methods: A retrospective review of hospital records of pediatric oncology patients aged 0–18 years old who presented at BMC between January 2014 to December 2022 was conducted. A total of 1,465 patient records were identified, and 993 records from 2016–2022 were included in the survival analysis. Results: Of the 1,463 patients analyzed, 56% were male, and the mean age at presentation was six years and ten months. The number of cases increased over the study period, from 97 patients in 2014 to 239 patients in 2022. The most common malignancies were Wilms’ tumor (16%), Burkitt’s lymphoma (14%), and retinoblastoma (11%). Several types of malignancies such as neuroblastomas, bone tumors, and central nervous system tumors were newly identified in later years of the study period.Among the 997 patients included in the survival analysis, the overall survival (OS) rate was 45.3%, with a median survival time of 10.5 months (95% CI 8.9–12.2). The 2-year OS was 35.2%, and the 2-year event- free survival (EFS) was 18.6%. 2-year OS rates varied annually, with the lowest rate in 2017 (25.9%) and the highest in 2022 (40.0%). Survival outcomes were significantly influenced by the diagnosis. Patients with germ cell tumors (61.8%) and renal tumors (42.9%) had the highest 2-year OS, whereas those with bone tumors (17.8%), neuroblastomas (18.7%), and leukemias (23.3%) had the lowest. Conclusion: Pediatric cancer poses a significant burden in Tanzania. Over the first nine years of the partnership, improvements in diagnostic and management capacities were observed, evidenced by increased case numbers, diagnostic diversity, and OS rates. However, survival rates remain below the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer’s 60% overall survival target. Sustained multi-sectoral efforts are critical to bridging this gap and improving outcomes for children with cancer in the region. Citation Format: Deborah Jasmine, Heronima Joas Kashaigili, Mastidia Maxmilian, Judith Mafwimbo, John Hizza, Kashinje Mayolwa, Paul Shadrack Ntemi, Richard Mhone, Rodgers Richard, Kristin Schroeder. Evolving Pediatric Cancer Outcomes in Tanzania: A Nine-Year Retrospective Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 13th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; 2025 Sep 16. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 4.