Zeitschrift für Leukämie
Offener Zugang
ISSN: 2329-6917
ISSN: 2329-6917
Laten Mclish
Objective: To determine the distribution of Myeloid Leukemia and Lymphocytic Leukemia in Jamaica 2008. Methods: The study included all fourteen parishes. Data was obtained from the Jamaica Cancer Registry located in the Pathology Department of the University of the West Indies. Population denominators were obtained from the 2011 census taken by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica. The statistical package which was used to analyze the data was excel. Results: The highest frequencies of myeloid leukemia in 2008 occurred in the age group 40 years to 44 years and 65 years to 69 years. No further incidence of myeloid leukemia was recorded after 79 years. In Jamaica 2008, the median age at which myeloid leukemia was diagnosed was 47 years. The Crude Incidence Rate (CIR) for myeloid leukemia for both sexes was 0.9, 1.3 for males and 0.5 for females. Hence in Jamaica 2008 myeloid leukemia was predominant in males (male/female ratio, 2.6). The probability of developing myeloid leukemia across all parishes was examined using the Crude Incidence Rate (CIR). The highest probability was someone residing in the parish of St. Thomas (3.2), this was followed by St. Ann (1.7), Kingston and St. Andrew (1.2), St. Catherine (1.0), St. Mary (0.9), Clarendon (0.8), St. Elizabeth (0.7) and Manchester (0.5). The crude incidence rates for the remaining parishes were zero. Kingston and St. Andrew were treated as one because they are very interwoven. In Jamaica 2008 cases of lymphocytic leukemia were sporadic when all age groups were considered. Onset began within the 0 year to 9 years group and after 80 years to 89 years no more cases were diagnosed. The median age at which lymphocytic leukemia was diagnosed was 46 years. When both sexes were considered the crude incidence rate was 0.4. In 2008 in the case of males the CIR was 0.4 and in the case of females the CIR was 0.4 (male/female ratio, 1.0). Hence in 2008 there was no dominance when the genders were compared.The CIR was used to determine in which parish an individual was most at risk to developing lymphocytic leukemia. In descending order an individual would be most at risk in Portland (1.2), St. Catherine (0.8), Kingston and St. Andrew (0.5), Manchester (0.5) and Clarendon (0.4). Conclusion: In reducing the effects of these cancers, education is of extreme importance regarding familial predisposition as well as exposure to chemical agents such as insecticides, radiation etc. Screening should also be done.