Delayed diagnostic interval and survival outcomes in pediatric leukemia: A single‐center, retrospective study

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThis study primarily focused on the diagnostic interval (DI), defined as the duration from the onset of leukemic symptoms to diagnosis. We investigated whether a prolonged DI is associated with the outcomes of pediatric leukemia.MethodsWe retrospectively collected data of children with newly diagnosed pediatric leukemia at Okayama University Hospital from January 2007 to December 2022. Survival analyses were conducted using Kaplan–Meier methods, and an unadjusted analysis to compare differences in survival was performed using the log‐rank test.ResultsIn total, 103 children with leukemia were included in the analysis. The median DI was 20 days (interquartile range, 9.5–33.5 days). A prolonged DI (≥30 days) demonstrated no association with either 5‐year event‐free survival (70.1% for <30 days and 68.3% for ≥30 days, p = .99, log‐rank test) or overall survival (84.7% for <30 days and 89.4% for ≥30 days, p = .85, log‐rank test).ConclusionsA prolonged DI was not associated with the survival of children with leukemia. If a precise classification of leukemia biology is provided for pediatric patients, a prolonged DI may have little impact on the prognosis of these patients.