MULTIPLE PRIMARY NEOPLASMS IN CHILDHOOD - DATA FROM THE GERMAN-CHILDRENS-CANCER-REGISTRY

The German Children's Cancer Registry (GCCR) has documented all malign ancies during the first 15 years of Life in Germany since 1980. In a s eries of 20388 cancer cases to the end of 1995, 127 children with mult iple primary neoplasms up to the age of 15 years were identified. The children were monitored for 82591 person-years with a mean observation time of 4.1 years. Relative and cumulative risk for the occurrence of second malignant neoplasms were estimated only for the first 15 years of life, as follow-up data beyond childhood are incomplete and valid data on the incidence of cancer in adolescents and adults are not avai lable in Germany. The overall standardised incidence ratio for a secon d malignancy was 12.5 (95% CI: 10.4-14.9) which implies an absolute ex cess risk of 141.5 per 10(5). The estimated cumulative risk within 10 years after the first malignancy was 1.9% (95% CI: 1.5-2.3). It is exp ected that the risk will alter with prolongation of follow-up beyond c hildhood. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.