A 12-year epidemiological review of retinoblastoma in Omani children

AIM: To describe the epidemiology of retinoblastoma (RB) in Omani children. METHOD: The National Cancer Registry, hospital records, and treatment abroad registers were reviewed to identify the characteristics of Omani children diagnosed with RB between 1990 and 2002. RESULTS: Twenty-nine children (12 male and 17 female) were diagnosed with RB. The age-adjusted incidence was 4.04/million/year in children < 15 years and 8.33/million/year in children < 5 years. The mean age at diagnosis was 32.2 months (33.8 months for unilateral RB and 13.2 months for bilateral RB). 75% had unilateral tumors and 25% had bilateral tumors. The five-year survival rate for RB was 89%. None of the patients had a family history of RB. CONCLUSION: The incidence of RB in Oman is at par with other countries. A definite female preponderance exists in the Omani population. The proportion of unilateral RB cases is unusually high among Omani children. The five-year survival rate is almost at par with that reported in the West. Genetic studies and further longitudinal studies of surviving RB cases could further enhance the knowledge of the epidemiology of RB in Oman.