Aim: To determine the prevalence rate of cancer diagnoses by an emergency route, the related risk factors and whether the emergency diagnosis was associated with poorer outcome. Methods: Retrospective observational study with identification of patients diagnosed at the Pediatric Oncology Unit of "Sapienza" University between 2008 and 2018. The percentage of patients who received a first-time diagnosis after an emergency presentation was determined. Two-year survival and clinical factors, such as sex, age and histology, associated to emergency presentation were evaluated. Results: Of 207 patients (109 girls and 98 boys; median age, 120 months), with a first-time diagnosis of solid tumor, 5.8% were diagnosed during an emergency admission after a median latency time of 2.5 days. Cases with an emergency diagnosis were younger compared with those who were diagnosed electively (median age, 30 months vs 120 months, P < 0.005). Higher prevalence rate of emergency presentation was detected in patients with lymphoma compared with those with no lymphoma disease (28.6% vs 4.1%; P < 0.0001). All patients were managed to overcome their emergency presentation, 33.3% of these died later. No statistically significant difference for 2-year overall survival was found between patients with an emergency diagnosis and those with elective diagnosis (66.7% vs 81.0%; odds ratio, 2.1; confidence interval, 0.6-7.5; P = 0.22). Conclusions: A minor but not negligible number of pediatric patients come to a first-time diagnosis of cancer as result of a life-threatening event; risk factors were younger age and lymphoma disease. The emergency event can be successfully treated, and it was not related to a poorer survival.

First-time diagnosis after an emergency presentation in children with cancer / Schiavetti, Amalia; Aliotti Lippolis, Maria; Gentile, Isotta; DE GRAZIA, Alessandra; Ferrara, Eva; Bonci, Enea. - In: PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY CARE. - ISSN 0749-5161. - 38:(2022), pp. 650-653. [10.1097/PEC.0000000000002329]

First-time diagnosis after an emergency presentation in children with cancer

Schiavetti Amalia
;
De Grazia Alessandra;Ferrara Eva;Bonci Enea
2022

Abstract

Aim: To determine the prevalence rate of cancer diagnoses by an emergency route, the related risk factors and whether the emergency diagnosis was associated with poorer outcome. Methods: Retrospective observational study with identification of patients diagnosed at the Pediatric Oncology Unit of "Sapienza" University between 2008 and 2018. The percentage of patients who received a first-time diagnosis after an emergency presentation was determined. Two-year survival and clinical factors, such as sex, age and histology, associated to emergency presentation were evaluated. Results: Of 207 patients (109 girls and 98 boys; median age, 120 months), with a first-time diagnosis of solid tumor, 5.8% were diagnosed during an emergency admission after a median latency time of 2.5 days. Cases with an emergency diagnosis were younger compared with those who were diagnosed electively (median age, 30 months vs 120 months, P < 0.005). Higher prevalence rate of emergency presentation was detected in patients with lymphoma compared with those with no lymphoma disease (28.6% vs 4.1%; P < 0.0001). All patients were managed to overcome their emergency presentation, 33.3% of these died later. No statistically significant difference for 2-year overall survival was found between patients with an emergency diagnosis and those with elective diagnosis (66.7% vs 81.0%; odds ratio, 2.1; confidence interval, 0.6-7.5; P = 0.22). Conclusions: A minor but not negligible number of pediatric patients come to a first-time diagnosis of cancer as result of a life-threatening event; risk factors were younger age and lymphoma disease. The emergency event can be successfully treated, and it was not related to a poorer survival.
2022
Cancer; diagnosis; outcome
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
First-time diagnosis after an emergency presentation in children with cancer / Schiavetti, Amalia; Aliotti Lippolis, Maria; Gentile, Isotta; DE GRAZIA, Alessandra; Ferrara, Eva; Bonci, Enea. - In: PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY CARE. - ISSN 0749-5161. - 38:(2022), pp. 650-653. [10.1097/PEC.0000000000002329]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1509106
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