Early Deaths in Childhood Cancer in Romania—A Single Institution Study

Abstract

(1) Background: Survival in childhood cancer has improved significantly over the last decades. However, early deaths (EDs) represent an important number of preventable deaths. Our aim was to provide more insight intoEDs in developing countries. (2) Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients aged 0–18 years with childhood cancer diagnosed between 1996 and 2008 and admitted in the Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Cluj-Napoca (IOCN), Romania. After exclusion of patients (pts) older than 18 years at diagnosis, pts with a missing personal identification number and pts with unconfirmed diagnosis of malignancy, we included 783 pts in the final analysis. We defined ED as survival of less than one month after cancer diagnosis. We divided pts in groups according to age, major tumour categories and treatment time periods. (3) Results: ED was registered in 20 pts (2.55%). A total of 16EDs were registered in haematologic malignancies and 4 in solid tumours. Statistical analysis was performed on pts diagnosed with haematological malignancies. A statistically significant higher proportion of patients with performance status (PS) 3 and 4 died within one month after diagnosis (24.1%) than patients admitted with PS 0–2 (1%)—p < 0.01. We found no statistically significant difference regarding ED when comparing male versus female (p = 0.85), age at diagnosis or between the threeperiods of diagnosis (p = 0.7). (4) Conclusions: PS at admission is an important risk factor associated with ED in pts with haematologic malignancies. ED in our institution reflects frequent late presentation for medical care, late diagnosis and referral to specialised centres.