International variations in leukaemia incidence in children and adolescents

To compare the subtype distribution of leukaemia in children and adolescents between Japan and other countries, we extracted information on cancer incidence in children and adolescents from the third volume of the International Incidence of Childhood Cancer series (IICC-3) (1). The IICC-3 reports the number or incidence rates of cancers occurring in childhood and adolescence, collected from cancer registries (regional or national) worldwide. We analyzed leukaemia incidence in four countries in Asia (Japan, China, the Republic of Korea and Thailand), two countries in Africa (Egypt and Uganda), four countries in the Americas (North: the United States of America (USA) and Canada, Latin and Caribbean: Brazil and Colombia), three countries in Europe (the United Kingdom (UK), France and Germany) and two countries in Oceania (Australia and New Zealand). Information from the Republic of Korea, USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand were obtained at the national level, and those from...