Diagnosis of acute leukemia in children: the impact of remote residence on the time to make a diagnosis

Background. Acute leukemia (AL) is the most common childhood cancer with an incidence rate of about 55-62 cases per 1 million children under 18 years of age. Acute leukemia is difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific symptoms, which are often hidden under the “masks” of other diseases. This problem is especially relevant for regions with a population of up to 100,000 people, where AL in children is diagnosed once every 2-5 years causing too low cancer alertness among pediatricians.