In a worldwide survey, 78 percent of institutions said the COVID-19 pandemic affected their ability to provide childhood cancer care, according to findings published March 3 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.
The 60-question global survey was distributed from June 22 to Aug. 21 and included responses from 311 pediatric oncology providers from 213 institutions. The institutions spanned 79 countries, including several in the U.S. The majority of respondents were pediatric oncologists, while others were infectious disease specialists, other physicians and nurses.
Six more key findings:
1. Seven percent of centers said they had to completely close pediatric hematology-oncology services for a median of 10 days.
2. Forty-three percent of institutions reported a decrease in newly diagnosed cases of pediatric cancer.
3. Seventy-two percent of the centers said they had to reduce surgical care.
4. Sixty percent reported blood product shortages.
5. Modifications to chemotherapy treatments were made at 57 percent of the institutions.
6. Unavailable chemotherapy, treatment abandonment and interruptions to radiotherapy were more common in low-income and middle-income countries than high-income countries, but all countries reported similar decreases in newly diagnosed cancer cases.
To view the full findings, click here.