Risk Factors Influencing the Survival of Pediatric Acute Leukemia Using Competing Risk Model

Background and Acute leukemia is a malignancy with a rapidly progressive course of the lymphoid or myeloid cells. A prognostic factor for its survival and treatment is of particular importance in medical research. Therefore, this study aimed at applying competing risk model to compare clinical and pathologic factors in pediatric acute leukemia. A historical cohort analysis was performed on survival data of 97 children with acute leukemia collected from Pediatric Oncology Department in Booali Sina Hospital in Sari from 2006 to 2014. We recorded data including age at diagnosis, type of leukemia, sex, white blood cell count, and platelet count. Statistical analysis using competing risk model, Cox regression model and STATS software were performed. The median follow-up period was 14.83 mounts during which 27 patients (27.83%) (17 ALL cases and 10 AML cases) passed away. In competing risk model significant relationship was found between type of leukemia, hemoglobin count and white blood cell count with survival time. In order to identify the prognostic risk factors on the survival of patients with acute leukemia, in presence of competing risks, using the competing risk regression model was found more efficient compared to cox regression model.