Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic



Bandyopadhyay, Soham, Peter, Noel, Lakhoo, Kokila, Abib, Simone de Campos Vieira, Abdelhafeez, Hafeez, Wilson, Shaun, Pachl, Max, Martin, Benjamin, Nagras, Sonal, Sheth, Mihir
et al (show 575 more authors) (2022) Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH, 7 (10). e008797-.

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Abstract

<h4>Introduction</h4>Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality.<h4>Methods</h4>Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries.<h4>Inclusion criteria</h4>children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months.<h4>Results</h4>All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Cancer, COVID-19, Health systems, Paediatrics
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 06 Feb 2024 11:10
Last Modified: 06 Feb 2024 11:10
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008797
Open Access URL: https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/10/e008797
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3178504