Precise Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis Using Immunohistochemistry: Reducing Cost of Care and Improving Outcomes in a Low and Middle-Income Setting

Childhood cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is the second-leading cause of non-communicable deaths among children worldwide with more than 90% of childhood cancer-associated mortality occurring in low-income and middle-income countries. Disparity in mortality rat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWest African journal of medicine Vol. 40; no. 12; p. 1341
Main Authors Akinsete, A M, Fakile, U O, Joseph, O A, Akinjo, A O, Fashola, T O, Oladipo, A T, Akinsulie, A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Nigeria 30.12.2023
Subjects
Child
Developing Countries
Health Facilities
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Length of Stay
Neoplasms
Immunohistochemistry
Pediatrics
Children
Cancer
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Summary:Childhood cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is the second-leading cause of non-communicable deaths among children worldwide with more than 90% of childhood cancer-associated mortality occurring in low-income and middle-income countries. Disparity in mortality rates has been linked to late presentation, inaccurate diagnosis, treatment abandonment and poor access to appropriate therapy. Access to enhanced diagnostics such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) is vital for proper diagnosis and prompt institution of appropriate treatment for children with cancers. However, despite the ever-increasing insight into the use of these techniques for timely and accurate diagnosis of pediatric cancers; simple histological diagnosis remains the mainstay in most of the LMIC owing to financial constraints, unavailability of facilities and skilled manpower. Limited access results in imprecise diagnosis including missed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and wrong diagnosis, subsequently resulting in increased cost of care and poor treatment outcomes. This article focuses on the benefits of precise diagnosis among children who presented with cancers in an LMIC and the observed reduction in the cost of care, length of hospital stay, and improved outcome in the observed cohort as well as how to improve and promote access.
ISSN:0189-160X