Patient- and parent-reported diagnostic delay in children with central nervous system tumors in Denmark

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

Background: Diagnostic delays in childhood tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) pose a significant challenge. The aim of this study was to map diagnostic delay and presenting symptoms in Denmark. Methods: The study was a retrospective questionnaire study, mapping delay and symptoms in pediatric patients (0–17 years), diagnosed with a CNS tumor from 2015 to 2019. Descriptive analysis was performed to measure delay in days, reported as total diagnostic interval (TDI), patient interval (PI), and diagnostic interval (DI). Analysis of symptoms, contacts to healthcare professionals, and socioeconomic status was also performed. Results: We included 89 patients (median age 7.0 years, 54% male). The TDI was median of 106 days (range: 0–2694 days). Low-grade tumors had longer TDI than high-grade tumors (125 vs. 43 days; p ≤.02). Patients aged 15–17 displayed the longest TDI (median 665 days). Number of symptoms at onset were inversely associated with longer TDI in patients presenting one symptom (247 days) and patients presenting two to three (110 days) or greater than three complaints (66 days). PI was not associated with sex (p =.14), tumor grade (p =.63), location (p =.32), or socioeconomic status (p =.82). Most frequent single complaint at onset was headache (19%), most frequent combination of symptoms was headache and vomiting (60%). Conclusion: We found TDIs longer than reported in contemporary publications. TDI was longer in patients with low-grade tumors and only few symptoms at the time of onset. The findings support the crucial need of awareness and improved diagnostic tools to recognize and interpret symptoms to promote timely diagnosis.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
BogseriePediatric Blood and Cancer
Antal sider11
ISSN1545-5009
DOI
StatusE-pub ahead of print - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
The authors are thankful to all participating patients and families. Kathrine Synne Weile's work was supported by grants from the Danish Childhood Cancer Foundation, CONTROL \u2013 National Research Center for Childhood Cancer, Helsefonden, Dagmar Marshalls Fond, and B\u00F8rneHjerneCancerFonden. The supporting foundations had no role in the design nor conduct of this study.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Pediatric Blood & Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

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