The Epidemiology of Haematological Malignancies at the University Of Benin Teaching Hospital: A Ten-Year Retrospective Study.

Background: Haematological malignancies comprise a collection of heterogeneous mitotic conditions, all originating from cells of the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. They are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the Niger delta region of Nigeria, a region noted for its high petrochemical activities. The burden of these malignancies has not been evaluated in this region and there is limited data on the epidemiology of these malignancies in Nigeria.Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology of haematological malignancies, in terms of sex, age, marital status, educational background, occupation, tribe, residence, and place of origin of the patients and to determine the incidence, and prevalence rates of the various haematological malignancies.Materials and Methods: A total of four hundred and twelve (412) case notes of all patients with the diagnosis of haematological malignancies over a ten-year period (January 1999 to December 2008) were reviewed. Demographic features and the number of the various types of malignancies were extracted and analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 15.Results: Result showed that haematological malignancies accounted for 17.4% of all malignancies seen in the study area within the study period. They were significantly more common among the males, the adults, the married, the educated, the unemployed patients and the Bini tribe. The average incidence rate of haematological