Although global inequalities in survival from childhood leukaemia have narrowed, they still persist, a new study shows.
The research in The Lancet Haematology says that five-year survival in some countries is nearly twice as high as in others. Five-year survival for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in Germany was 92%, compared with 52% in Colombia for children diagnosed in 2005-09.
The authors used individual patient data for almost 90,000 children, provided by 198 cancer registries in 53 countries.
“There is room for improvement in the management of childhood leukaemia in many countries,” said
lead author Dr Audrey Bonaventure of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “These findings show the extent of worldwide inequalities in access to optimal healthcare for children with cancer.”
