TITLE:
Predictors of Survival and Relapse among Children Diagnosed with Acute Leukemia in Northen Tanzania
AUTHORS:
Arnold Likiliwike, Yotham Gwanika, Heronima Joas, Aisa Shayo, Linda Kissila, Esther Majaliwa
KEYWORDS:
Acute Leukemia, Relapse, Survival
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.15 No.1,
January
8,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Acute Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, with two main types: ALL and AML. In Tanzania, recent improvements in treatment and survival have been noted, but the latest data is from 2013. This study will update survival and relapse information from 2013 to 2020 to help enhance future treatment strategies. Methodology: This study was conducted at two tertiary hospitals in Tanzania. The study analyzed data from children diagnosed with Acute Leukemia between January 2015 to December 2020. Patient data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using STATA software. Results: This study included a total of 95 participants 64 had age less than 10 years and majority were males 56.8%, 55 had duration of symptoms for more than 1 month 66 had ALL, 49 had attained remission, the overall three years survival was 44.2% with those children with no health insurance having high risk of dying, rate of relapse was 18.4%, with those diagnosed with B-ALL having low risk of relapse. Conclusion: This study provides insights into survival and relapse predictors for childhood leukemia in northern Tanzania. It found an overall survival rate of 44.2%, with health insurance and minimal residual disease after induction being key predictors of survival. The relapse rate was 18.4%, with health insurance linked to a lower relapse risk. Health insurance emerged as a strong predictor of better survival, leading to the recommendation that all children should have health insurance. Additionally, the study suggests that policymakers should support the expansion of global health coverage in Tanzania.