The Frequency and Distribution of ABO Blood Groups in Patients with Haematological Cancers in Uyo, Nigeria: A Hospital Based Retrospective Study

Background: The pattern and distribution of haematological malignancies vary depending on age, sex and geographical location. Studies on the association between haematological cancers and ABO blood types have been largely conflicting.

Aim: To determine the frequency and distribution of ABO blood groups among a cohort of patients with haematological cancers.

Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study involving the review of records of patients with various haematological cancers, their demographic characteristics and ABO blood group distribution over a 5 year period.

Results: The record of 132 patients with haematological malignancies over a 5 year period were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 47.93 ± 17.9 years. The peak age incidence for the various haematological cancer was the fourth and fifth decades of life. The male to female sex ratio was 2:1. NHL was the commonest haematological cancer among the patients. Majority of the patients were of the O-blood type, the different blood group distribution among the patients was statistically not different from that of the general population. Also, there was no significant association between haematological cancers and ABO blood type of the patients.

Conclusion: The distribution, age and sex ratio of haematological malignancies in our study was comparable to those reported by other authors with NHL being the most common haematological cancer in our environment. Majority of the patients were of the O-blood type, comparable to the general population. There was no significant association between haematological cancers and ABO blood type of the patients.