Incidence, distribution, and patient characteristics of childhood cancer in Jordan: an updated population-based study.

Background and objectives: The most recent study on pediatric cancer epidemiology in Jordan was published in 2003. This study aims to provide updated epidemiological data for local clinicians, policymakers, and international physicians interested in Middle Eastern patient populations.

Materials and methods: We analyzed data from the Jordanian National Cancer Registry for pediatric patients (ages 0-18) diagnosed between 2000 and 2017, classified according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer, third edition.

Results: Our cohort comprised 7639 patients. The mean age at diagnosis was 8.68 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.4 and an annual incidence rate of 191 per million population. We identified significant differences in cancer distribution between Jordan and neighboring Middle Eastern countries, as well as regional discrepancies in the number of diagnosed childhood cancer cases. A comparison of cancer incidence between 1996-1998 and 2000-2017 in Jordan was conducted. Our findings align with established trends, such as the correlation between the male-to-female cancer incidence ratio and GDP per capita.

Conclusion: This study provides the latest organized and accessible data on childhood malignancies in Jordan.