AGE AND SEX AS FACTORS INFLUENCING REMISSION DURATION IN AFRICAN BURKITTS LYMPHOMA

Abstract

The frequency of Burkltt's lymphoma peaks in children six to nine years of age and is twice as high in males as in females. To determlne if age or sex had any relationship to outcome of therapy, the authors examined the experience of 387 patlents treated for Burkitt's lymphoma at the Burkitt Tumor Project, Accra, Ghana, between 1966 and 1978. No age or sex relationship could be demonstrated with overall survival. However, among children without central nervous system disease who achleved an initial remission, the relapse rates were higher for those diagnosed initially in the age interval 6–9 years than for those diagnosed at younger or older ages. This pattern was seen for each stage of the dlsease as well as overall. Sex did not influence relapse rate. The relationship of these findings to the Epstein-Barr vlrus and malarla, both suspected factors in the etiology of this disease, is discussed, but neither appears to explain our results.