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BACKGROUND: Outcome data for neuroblastoma in sub-Saharan Africa are minimal, whereas poor outcome is reported in low- and middle-income countries. A multi-institutional retrospective study across South Africa was undertaken to determine outcome. METHODS: Patients treated between January 2000 and December 2014 in nine South African pediatric oncology units were included. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models were employed to determine two-year survival rates and to identify prognostic factors. RESULTS: Data from 390 patients were analyzed. The median age was 39.9 months (range, 0-201 months). The majority presented with stage 4 disease (70%). The main chemotherapy regimens were OPEC/OJEC (44.8%), St Jude NB84 protocol (28.96%), and Rapid COJEC (22.17%). Only 44.4% had surgery across all risk groups, whereas only 16.5% of high-risk patients received radiotherapy. The two-year overall survival (OS) for the whole cohort was 37.6%: 94.1%, 81.6%, and 66.7%, respectively, for the very-low-risk, low-risk, and intermediate-risk groups and 27.6% for the high-risk group (P 

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/pbc.27944

Type

Journal

Pediatr Blood Cancer

Publication Date

11/2019

Volume

66

Keywords

South Africa, neuroblastoma, outcomes, overall survival, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols, Child, Child, Preschool, Comorbidity, Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures, Developing Countries, Gene Amplification, Genes, myc, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Neoplasm Staging, Neuroblastoma, Prognosis, Proportional Hazards Models, Radiotherapy, Retrospective Studies, South Africa, Stem Cell Transplantation, Survival Rate, Transplantation, Autologous