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Optimizing Diagnostic Tools & Outcomes Evaluation for t (9;22)-Positive Leukemias in Pediatric Low Middle-Income Country (LMIC) Patients
Syed Ibrahim Bukhari1, Sadaf Altaf1, Hira Saleem1
1Department of Oncology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Insights
Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the most sensitive and rapid diagnostic tool for pediatric t(9;22)-positive leukemias. This method improves timely treatment and survival rates in low-resource settings.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Pediatric Oncology
Background:
- Accurate diagnosis of t(9;22)-positive leukemias is crucial for pediatric patient survival.
- Low-resource settings face challenges in timely leukemia diagnosis due to limited healthcare resources.
- Efficient and cost-effective diagnostic methods are needed to address healthcare disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of RT-PCR compared to FISH and karyotyping for t(9;22)-positive leukemias in pediatric patients.
- To identify the most sensitive and timely diagnostic method for leukemia in low-resource settings.
- To assess the impact of diagnostic efficiency on treatment initiation and patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of diagnostic tools including RT-PCR, FISH, and karyotyping.
- Evaluation of diagnostic sensitivity, accuracy, and turnaround time using samples from 23 pediatric patients.
- Statistical reporting to highlight performance differences between methods.
Main Results:
- RT-PCR demonstrated 100% sensitivity and a 7-day turnaround time, outperforming FISH and karyotyping.
- FISH and karyotyping showed moderate performance with significantly longer delays compared to RT-PCR.
- RT-PCR provides reliable and rapid results essential for early leukemia treatment.
Conclusions:
- RT-PCR is the superior diagnostic tool for t(9;22)-positive pediatric leukemias, especially in low-resource settings.
- Adoption of RT-PCR can lead to faster, more accurate treatment decisions and reduced healthcare costs.
- Implementing RT-PCR can significantly improve survival rates for children with leukemia.
Abstract:
Accurate and timely diagnosis of t(9;22)-positive leukemias is vital to improving survival in pediatric patients. In low-resource settings, where healthcare disparities are exacerbated by limited resources, cost-effective and efficient diagnostic methods are essential for bridging these gaps and ensuring better outcomes. Among the diagnostic tools evaluated among 23 patients sample, RT-PCR demonstrated superior sensitivity (100%) and the shortest turnaround time (7 days), significantly outperforming FISH and karyotyping in both accuracy and timeliness. This capability of RT-PCR to provide reliable and rapid results enables earlier treatment initiation, which is critical in managing these aggressive leukemias. Simplified statistical reporting underscores RT-PCR's unmatched sensitivity, while FISH and karyotyping, though useful, showed moderate performance with longer delays. By adopting RT-PCR as the primary diagnostic tool in LMICs, healthcare systems can make faster and more accurate treatment decisions, reduce overall treatment costs by avoiding diagnostic delays, and ultimately improve survival rates in pediatric leukemia patients.
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