Dados do Resumo

Título

Epidemiological profile of lymphoid leukemia in pediatric patients in the Southeast Region

Introdução

Lymphoid leukemia represents a significant portion of the neoplasms diagnosed in pediatric patients in Brazil. This study aims to outline the epidemiological profile of lymphoid leukemia in children in the Southeast Region, a region that concentrates a large portion of the population and health resources. Therefore, the epidemiological analysis is important to assess the effectiveness of screening programs, plan effective interventions, and target control and treatment of the disease.

Objetivo

To analyze the epidemiological profile of lymphoid leukemia in pediatric patients in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, from 2018 to 2023.

Métodos

This is an ecological, observational, quantitative, and descriptive study investigating cases of lymphoid leukemia in pediatric patients in the Southeast Region between 2018 and 2023. Data were obtained from the DATASUS database, following the sequence: "Health Information (TABNET)", "Epidemiological and morbidity", in the group "Time to treatment start – oncology". The analyzed variables included region of residence, age group, year of diagnosis, treatment duration, therapeutic modality, and sex.

Resultados

The analysis of 1,503 cases of lymphoid leukemia in pediatric patients in the Southeast Region of Brazil (2018-2023) showed that most treatments began quickly after diagnosis: 514 on the same day and 680 between 1 and 10 days. Almost all patients (1,361) started treatment within the first 30 days. Only 97 cases began between 31 days and more than two years after diagnosis. Chemotherapy was the predominant treatment, used in 1,463 cases, followed by radiotherapy in 38, and only 2 cases involved surgery. Boys were more affected, with 824 cases, compared to 679 girls. The cases were reported uniformly throughout the year, with around 21 new diagnoses per month between 2018 and 2023, with 275 cases in 2018, 217 in 2019, 254 in 2020, 269 in 2021, 245 in 2022, and 225 in 2023. There was an average of 247.5 diagnoses per year.

Conclusões

The epidemiological profile of pediatric lymphoid leukemia in the Southeast Region of Brazil (2018-2023) shows fast diagnosis and treatment, with chemotherapy being the main approach. The higher incidence in boys suggests investigating specific risk factors. The stability of cases over the years highlights the importance of continuous health policies and reinforces the need for early interventions and improvement of treatment and control strategies.