Geographic and Socioeconomic Determinants of Treatment Abandonment in Pediatric Acute Leukemia: A Cohort Study in South-Central Mexico

Introduction Pediatric acute leukemia is the most common childhood malignancy and one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, particularly, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where treatment abandonment remains a major barrier to survival. Geographic accessibility and socioeconomic conditions are recognized determinants, but their combined influence in Mexico remains understudied. This study evaluated the association between geographic accessibility, socioeconomic factors, and treatment abandonment among children with acute leukemia in south-central Mexico. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted in Oaxaca, Puebla, and Tlaxcala from 2021 to 2023, including 574 children under 18 years diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic or myeloid leukemia. Geographic accessibility was estimated using travel distance and time from patients’ residences to referral hospitals, calculated with ORS Tools in QGIS. Socioeconomic variables included public health insurance affiliation, parental education and occupation, and number of siblings. Treatment abandonment was defined per SIOP criteria as failure to initiate or discontinuation of treatment for ≥4 consecutive weeks. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for child’s sex, age, year of diagnosis, and leukemia subtype, was used to assess associations. Results Treatment abandonment occurred in 16.6% of patients. In multivariable analysis, lack of public health insurance (aOR = 2.83; 95% CI: 1.39-5.76; P < 0.01) and living ≥141 km from the hospital (aOR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.02-2.74; P = 0.03) were significantly associated with abandonment. Other factors, including number of siblings, maternal education, and fathers’ occupation, were not statistically significant. Conclusion Lack of public health insurance and greater distance to the hospital are key determinants of treatment abandonment in children with acute leukemia in south-central Mexico. Expanding insurance coverage, reducing indirect costs, and addressing geographic barriers are critical to improve treatment adherence and survival outcomes in this population.