Résumé

Background: Paediatric cancers are rare tumours. These tumours nevertheless represent the leading cause of death by disease in children under 15. Cameroon has recorded 800 new cases of cancer in 2022 in children aged between 0 and 14. Paediatric radiotherapy requires much more conformal irradiation techniques, and is practised very little in Cameroon compared with developed countries such as France. This study therefore describes paediatric radiotherapy techniques in Toulouse, with a view to popularising them in the Cameroonian practice. Methodology: We conducted a descriptive study of 32 patients treated for paediatric cancer in the Radiotherapy Department of Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse in France from 11 November 2024 to 31 January 2025. The 32 patients were included from the time of the radiotherapy consultation. Most of our variables were based on the environmental setting of the consultation, fusion imaging, restraint methods and dosimetry constraints. Results: The median age was 6.7 years, with first and third quartiles of 3.3 and 11.2 years respectively. The sex ratio was 1. We noted that 50% of our patients had central nervous system tumours. The consultation setting was adapted for each patient at the radiotherapy consultation. Cerebellar syndrome was present in 12 of the 16 patients with central nervous system involvement. Two of the most satisfactory mean dosimetry objectives in terms of PTV coverage and homogeneity concerned localised glioma without BRAF-V600E expression with a D95%=97% and cutaneous lymphoma with a D95%=99.2%. Dose constraints to organs at risk were generally satisfactory for the 32 patients. The restraint methods used allowed consistent repositioning during treatment. Conclusion: Radiotherapy for paediatric cancers is still quite special, given the specific characteristics of the patients and the tumours concerned. Our experience of therapeutic procedures for patients in Toulouse has strong points that deserve to be applied in Cameroon.

Mot-clés :

Paediatric Cancer, Low Income, Radiotherapy Techniques, Dosimetry, Cameroon's Prospects