Children treated for blood cancer at KNH record high survival rates

In many African countries only three in ten children survive this cancer. At KNH, survival rate has hit 70 per cent

by JOHN MUCHANGI

Health16 January 2025 - 18:51

In Summary

They said in some high-income countries, such as the United States and Europe, nine out of every children treated for BL survive beyond five years.

Children treated for a rare but aggressive blood cancer at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) have one of Africa’s highest survival rates, a five-year analysis indicates.

In many African countries, only about three to six children treated for the cancer, Burkitt lymphoma (BL), survive beyond five years.

However, an analysis of records of children treated at KNH between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022, indicates that seven out of every ten survived.

Although Burkitt lymphoma is extremely aggressive and fatal if left untreated, it is often responsive to the currently recommended intensive chemotherapy regimens, and survival rates in developed countries are high.

A key factor for the impressive survival rate observed at KNH is the effectiveness of the treatment, researchers who conducted the analysis said.

Their paper, “Assessment of Treatment Outcomes and Associated Factors Among Pediatric Patients With Burkitt Lymphoma at Kenyatta National Hospital”, was published in the Cancer Reports journal on January 13.

The researchers, Divya Kumari Toor (United States International University‐Africa), and pharmacists Dr Amsalu Degu (USIU) and Dr Peter Karimi (University of Nairobi), said children who fared badly had been diagnosed late and had other diseases such as diabetes.

“The five‐year survival rate was 70 per cent in our setting,” they said. “Most patients had reduced tumour size and stable disease during the follow-up period.”

In general, the five-year survival rate is the percentage of people who are alive five years after receiving a cancer diagnosis. That five-year span is important because research shows cancer that does not come back (recur) within five years typically will not come back.

Children with BL commonly present with large belly tumors, swollen lymph nodes, tiredness, fever, and other symptoms.

The disease is treated mainly with chemotherapy and possibly with surgery.

“The patients were retrospectively monitored from the initial cancer diagnosis until either death or the last follow‐up appointment visit in the facility. Data analysis of factors associated with treatment and disease progression‐related death was carried out,” the researchers said.

At KNH, survival rates varied based on the stage of cancer and the type of treatment received.

Divya and her colleagues found that children with advanced disease and those who received full-dose chemotherapy had a higher risk of death.

“Patients with Stage IV disease who were treated with full-dose chemotherapy were 19.2 times more likely to die compared to those with no metastases,” they reported. This suggests that while full-dose chemotherapy is a powerful treatment, it also comes with risks.

According to the study, most children with BL in Kenya are diagnosed at an average age of six years. “The majority of patients were diagnosed with Stage IV disease, accounting for 46.7 per cent of all cases,” the researchers reported.

Despite this late diagnosis, many patients responded well to treatment.

Burkitt lymphoma is the most common type of pediatric cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. It is linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and malaria, both of which are widespread in the region. The study confirmed that the endemic type of BL, which is most common in malaria-prone areas, was the predominant form among the patients at KNH.

The researchers said early diagnosis and access to the best treatment options is crucial to good outcome.

They said in some high-income countries, such as the United States and Europe, nine out of every children treated for BL survive beyond five years.

The study at KNH suggests that Kenya is making significant progress in closing this gap.

The researchers said more needs to be done to improve early diagnosis and treatment in Kenya. “Late-stage diagnosis remains a challenge, as nearly half of the patients in our study were already at Stage IV when diagnosed,” they wrote.

The study also pointed out that children with other health conditions, such as diabetes, had lower survival rates, indicating the need for more specialized care.

They recommend better screening programmes, increased awareness about childhood cancers, and improved access to targeted therapies.