IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) e-ISSN: 2279-0853, p-ISSN: 2279-0861.Volume 20, Issue 5 Ser.11 (May. 2021), PP 38-44 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0853-2005113844 www.iosrjournal.org 38 | Page The Frequency and Pattern of Haematological Malignancies in A Tertiary Hospital In Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, North- Central Nigeria: A Sixteen Year Review. T. I. Otu 1 , 2 *, U.G. Ejikeme 1 , 2 . 1 Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja, Nigeria. 2 Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. Corresponding Author: T. I. Otu, Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, PMB 228 Abuja, Nigeria. Citation: T.I. Otu, U.G. Ejikeme. The Frequency and Pattern of Haematological Malignancies at a Tertiary Hospital in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, North-Central Nigeria: 2005 - 2021. Abstract: Background: Report showed that Haematological malignancies (HMs) accounted for 6.66% of all cancer cases in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), North-Central, Nigeria. There is lack of accurate information on the frequency and pattern of HMs diagnosed at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada. Thus, the main objective of this study was to determine the frequency and pattern of HMs at this tertiary hospital in FCT, and compare our findings with similar studies within and outside Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of all haematological malignancies diagnosed at UATH during the study period, from 1 st , January, 2005 to 31 st , December, 2020. The data abstracted from Abuja Cancer Registry (ABCR), and patients’ medical register at the Department of Haematology and Bl ood Transfusion included type of HMs, sex, age, and date of diagnosis. SPSS version 26 and Microsoft Excel version 16 for data analysis and graphs respectively. Result: Two thousand six hundred and fifty five (2655) cancers cases were diagnosed during the study period, 328 (12.35%) were HMs, 208 (63.4%.) cases these were males while 120 (36.6%) were females, with a M:F Ratio of 1.7 :1. The mean and median age at diagnosis of patients with HMs were 39.7 and 44.5 years respective (range 1 – 83 years). Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) which constituted 20.7% of all the HMs, was the commonest, followed respectively by Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) 16.8%, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) 14.0%, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) 13.4%, Acute Myeloblastic Leukaemia (AML) 11.9%, while the least frequent were Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and Waldenstrom Macroglobulinaemia (WM) with 0.3% each. Adults with 257 cases accounted for 78.4% of the HMs, while 21.6% (71 cases) were children. Conclusion: This first comprehensive study on frequency and pattern of HMs at UATH, Gwagwalada, revealed high relative prevalence of HMs among cancer cases diagnosed in our center, 12.35% of overall cancer cases diagnosed at the hospital were HMs. NHL, 20.7% was the commonest HM, while MGUS and WM, 0.3% each, were the least frequent HMs, males were more affected than females, CML and ALL were the most frequent HMs in adults and children respectively. This study generated real-time data on the burden of HMs that is imperative for planning and policy formulation on appropriate diagnostic and management facilities for cost effective HMs service delivery by the Hospital Management. Keywords: Haematological malignancies, Frequency, Pattern, Myeloid, Lymphoid and Abuja --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 15-05-2021 Date of Acceptance: 31-05-2021 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction: Haematological malignancies (HMs) are heterogeneous groups of clonal haemopoietic stem cells and lymphoid organs malignancies with the two broad categories, Myeloid HMs and Lymphoid HMs 1 , 2 . The aetiology of HMs is unknown, however, genetic predisposition and environmental exposure to chemicals such as benzene and carbon tetrachloride (herbicides, pesticide, organic chemicals and solvents), ionizing radiation, infectious agents (viral and bacterial) and smoking are risk factors associated with development of these disorders 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . Although HMs have increased globally 2 , these cancers have emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan-Africa (SSA) and accounted for about 10% of overall cancer burden, HMs are projected to overshadow infectious diseases within a few decades if current trend continue unabated 6 , 7 ,