ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Europe2025
Quantifying diagnostic intervals and routes to diagnosis for children and young people with cancer in the UK (Childhood Cancer Diagnosis study, CCD): a population-based observational study.
Article in The Lancet regional health. Europe, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Spotting childhood abdominal tumours: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical presentation.Archives of disease in childhood · 2026Pooled it
- Assessing and investigating children with suspected soft tissue sarcomas: an e-Delphi consensus process.Archives of disease in childhood · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Intervals in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Primary Bone Sarcoma: A Systematic Review.Cancers · 2026Review
- International variation in child healthcare practices and implications for childhood cancer diagnosis: a scoping review and cross-country clinician survey.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Childhood cancer is a global disease burden, with early diagnosis a priority. We quantified diagnostic intervals and referral routes for children and young people (CYP 0-18 years) diagnosed with cancer in the UK. Methods: All CYP diagnosed between September 2020-March 2023 were eligible. Demographic, referral, and symptom data were collected prospectively. Patient interval (PI), diagnostic interval (DI), and total diagnostic interval (TDI) were calculated. Findings: 1957 CYP (mean age 7.4 years, 55% male, 78% white) participated. Median PI, DI, and TDI were 1.1 (IQR 0.1-4.0; range 0-164), 1.7 (IQR 0.4-5.9; range 0-310), and 4.6 weeks (IQR 2.0-11.4; range 0-310), respectively. Intervals were unaffected by sex, ethnicity or deprivation index (IMD). Median TDI was longest in 15-18 years (8.7 weeks, IQR 3.0-17.4) and bone tumours (12.6 weeks, IQR 6.6-23.4) and shortest in under ones (3.7 weeks, IQR 1.0-8.1) and renal tumours (2.3 weeks, IQR 0.9-5.0). 74% (n = 1438) had 1-3 pre-diagnostic healthcare contacts; 67% (n = 1312) presented emergently, with a median of 4.0 (range 0-26) symptoms. CYP with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis were most likely to have ≥4 visits when compared with leukaemia (adjusted OR 7.48, 95% CI 3.54-15.82), followed by central nervous system, bone, and soft tissue tumours. Interpretation: This study highlights equal access to diagnosis for sex, ethnicity and IMD, but disparities for age and diagnostic groups. These data will inform professional and public health strategies and health policy to accelerate diagnosis for all. Funding: National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR) DRF-2018-11-ST2-055.
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