Characterizing Patients in Childhood and Adolescence Suffering from Cancer in the City of Jundiaí and Vicinity

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the profile of female patients in childhood and adolescence with cancer in the Bolívar Risso Institute of Pediatric Clinic - GRENDACC - Jundiai, as well as to understand how the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up are done. A total of 71 medical reports of 0- to 17-year-old female children and adolescents between 1995 and 2006 were studied. Results are presented with significance level of 5% and show that 75% of patients were white, whose mean age was 8. Most of them live in Jundiaí (52%). Regarding their ovarian function, 11% had already had their first menstrual period at diagnosis. Approximately 70% referred to the tertiary healthcare sector in the first month when symptoms appeared (52%). Almost half of them were diagnosed with leukemia and 46% presented advanced clinical stage at admission into the institute. The time between diagnosis and initiation of treatment was less than a month for most patients. Chemotherapy was chosen in almost 90% of patients and surgery, in one third of patients. The prevalent clinical signs and symptoms were bone pain, anemia, fever and purple skin patches/hemorrhage. In conclusion, most of these patients are rapidly referred to hospital. However, almost half of them present advanced stage of the disease at admission. It was verified that 47% of the patients are not under treatment and 22.5% died.