A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Cohort Study To Characterise The Demographical Profiles Of Lymphoma And Multiple Myeloma Patients At The Radiation And Isotope Centre Of Khartoum (RICK), Sudan.

Abstract

Background Lymphoma and multiple myeloma are among the most common haematological malignancies globally and pose a substantial burden on health systems, particularly in low-income countries such as Sudan.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the demographic distribution of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL), Non- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), and Multiple Myeloma (MM) among Sudanese patients, focusing on age, sex, and year of diagnosis, to better understand the burden of these haematological malignancies in a low-resource setting.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study analysed demographic data of patients diagnosed with HL, NHL, and MM at the Radiation and Isotope Centre of Khartoum (RICK) between 2016 and 2020. Data were obtained from hospital registries and analysed using SPSS v27.0 and R v4.4.3. Associations between disease type, age, and gender were assessed using chi-square and logistic regression analyses.

Results: Of 2,900 reviewed records, 2,741 were eligible. Males constituted 59.9% (n = 1,645), with a male-to- female ratio of 1.5:1. HL was the most common (38.2%), followed by NHL (35.5%) and MM (26.3%). Gender was not significantly associated with malignancy type (p = 0.359), while age distribution differed significantly (p < 0.001), with HL predominating among younger patients and NHL/MM in older adults.

Conclusion HL, NHL, and MM represent the most prevalent haematological malignancies treated at Sudan’s national referral centre. Their demographic distribution varies significantly with age but not with gender. These findings highlight the need for targeted resource allocation and awareness strategies based on age-specific risk profiles in the Sudanese population.