Global survival of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia from a Latin American Hospital

Abstract

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common neoplasm in pediatric and adolescent populations. Overall survival has improved in recent decades. This study aimed to assess the overall survival of patients with pediatric ALL in a Latin American hospital. Materials and Methods: A longitudinal and retrospective analytical study was conducted on 31 patients less than 16 years of age diagnosed with ALL at the hematology department of a Peruvian hospital during the period 2015-2016. Overall survival at 5 years was determined using the Kaplan-Meier curve with parametric log-rank tests, and the Cox regression model was employed to ascertain the hazard ratios of significant variables. Results: The average age was 6 years, and 21 (67.7%) were female. The 5-year overall survival rate was 35%, with a median survival of 33 months (95% CI = 34.078-66.861). Being 10 years or older was associated with lower survival (p = 0.002). No significant association with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia was found (p = 0.057). Conclusion: The overall survival rate obtained was similar to that reported in other local studies; however, several international studies have reported better survival rates compared to our findings. Age was identified as a significant factor affecting survival.