Abstract
Background: In adults, there is a link between socioeconomic status
(SES) and cancer prognosis, notably due to increased time to diagnosis
(TTD) in deprived population leading to the spread of the disease. In
children, such an association has not been clearly reported. The
objective of our study was to assess the impact of SES on TTD of
childhood cancer and its potential consequences on cancer prognosis.
Methods: We carried out a multicenter retrospective study based on the
LOGAFTER multicentric database. We studied the SES at the individual and
ecological levels. Results: Overall, 854 children were included. The
median time to diagnosis was 28 days [12;64]. A usual care pathway
did not seem to impact TTD, but the use of alternative medicine and an
initial management by professionals not usually involved in the specific
childhood cancer context increased TTD. None of the SES ecological
variables were strictly associated with a significant impact on TTD.
However, we noted strong trends for single-parent families and children
whose fathers had died who presented with an increased TTD. Conclusions:
In the current study, the impact of SES on TTD in children on both the
individual and ecological levels was not clear. However, we noted some
keys at the individual scale that require further investigation to
explain a potential association between deprivation and TTD.