THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LEUKEMIA IN KUWAIT

This study reports the occurrence of leukemia subtypes in Kuwait betwe en 1979 and 1989. The cases were analyzed by age, sex, Kuwaiti and non -Kuwaiti nationality status. Of the total 723 cases, acute lymphoblast ic leukemia (ALL) was the most frequent (44.2%), exhibited a peak inci dence in the 0-4 years age group and was also the most common leukemia of childhood (90.5%). Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) constituted 3 2.4% of leukemia and showed a progressive increase in incidence with a ge. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) constituted 14.8% and chronic lymph ocytic leukemia (CLL) 8.6% of all cases. The incidence, age and sex di stribution of ALL, AML and CML was similar to that in the developed We stern countries while the lesser frequency of CLL was similar to that in the Orient. This pattern of leukemia subtypes may be related to the population structure consisting of the predominantly young in Kuwait, and the peak incidence of ALL in the very young to the socio-economic conditions.