ABSTRACT
Background: Annually, India contributes to one fifth of newly diagnosed pediatric cancer cases worldwide. The poor outcome of pediatric malignancies in India as compared to developed nations can be attributed to various factors. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are necessary to achieve higher cure rates. Hence, the study of factors influencing delay in diagnosis holds prime importance in formulating strategies and counter-measures to improve overall survival. Owing to a prominent lack of such studies from India, we, at our center, attempted to determine the factors that lead to delayed diagnosis of pediatric cancers. Method(s): This cross-sectional study enrolled 185 children diagnosed with malignancy at our center over a duration of 4 years. Data were collected from questionnaires and medical records. Diagnosis delay was defined and further divided into patient delay and physician delay. Various patient related factors and socioeconomic factors that could potentially affect diagnosis were studied. Statistical analysis included descriptive analysis, Man-Whitney U- test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and multivariate linear regression.we also studied the impact of COVID 19 on diagnosis dealy in this study. Result(s): Of the 185 patients enrolled over 4years, male: female ratio was 1.37.Median diagnosis delay, patient delay, and physician delays were 59, 30, and 7 days respectively. Median diagnosis delay was significantly higher in younger children, children of illiterate parents, and low monthly family income. Median diagnosis delay in children presenting to general practitioner [9(4-29) days] was higher than those presenting to pediatrician [5.5 (2-18) days]. Gender, occupation of parents and distance from oncology center did not affect time for diagnosis. Conclusion(s): Augmentation of parents attitude, increased awareness, higher suspicion, advocation of lymph node biopsies, and decentralization of specialized pediatric care to rural areas can accelerate the diagnosis of cancers and significantly reduce mortality from otherwise curable malignancies. Copyright © 2022