Childhood cancer survivorship care during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international report of practice implications and provider concerns

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Selina R van den Oever, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Saskia MF Pluijm, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Rod Skinner, Newcastle University; Adam Glaser, University of Leeds; Renée L Mulder, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Saro Armenian, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center; Edit Bardi, St Anna Childrens Hospital; Claire Berger, University Hospital Saint-Etienne; Matthew J Ehrhardt, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Jordan Marchak, Emory University; Gabrielle M Haeusler, Paediatric Integrated Cancer Centre; Jaap den Hartogh, Dutch Childhood Cancer Parent Organization VOKK Netherlands; Lars Hjorth, Lund University; Tomas Kepak, Masaryk University; Izolda Kriviene, Republican Siauliai County Hospital; Thorsten Langer, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein; Miho Maeda, Nippon Medical School; Catalina Márquez-Vega, Hosp Virgen del Rocio; Gisela Michel, University of Lucerne; Monica Muraca, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini; Mohamed Najib, Hospital Tunku Azizah; Paul C Nathan, The Hospital for Sick Children; Anna Panasiuk, Medical University of Wroclaw; Maya Prasad, Tata Memorial Hospital; Jelena Roganovic, University of Rijeka; Anne Uyttebroeck, University Hospital Leuven; Jeanette F Winther, Danish Cancer Society; Lorna Zadravec Zaletel, Institute of Oncology, Zaloska; Elvira C van Dalen, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Helena JH van der Pal, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Melissa M Hudson, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Leontien CM Kremer, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-01-12
• Publisher: SPRINGER
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11764-021-01120-9
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JOURNAL OF CANCER SURVIVORSHIP
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: 1390
• End Page: 1400
• Keywords: Social Sciences, Biomedical; COVID-19; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Science & Technology; Childhood cancer; Oncology; Paediatric oncology; Biomedical Social Sciences; DISEASE; Social Sciences; Long-term follow-up care
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Oncology; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Purpose: Long-term follow-up (LTFU) care is essential to optimise health outcomes in childhood cancer survivors (CCS). We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LTFU services and providers. Methods: A COVID-19 working group within the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group (IGHG) distributed a questionnaire to LTFU service providers in 37 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, Central/South America, and Australia. The questionnaire assessed how care delivery methods changed during the pandemic and respondents’ level of worry about the pandemic’s impact on LTFU care delivery, their finances, their health, and that of their family and friends. Results: Among 226 institutions, providers from 178 (79%) responded. Shortly after the initial outbreak, 42% of LTFU clinics closed. Restrictions during the pandemic resulted in fewer in-person consultations and an increased use of telemedicine, telephone, and email consultations. The use of a risk assessment to prioritise the method of LTFU consultation for individual CCS increased from 12 to 47%. While respondents anticipated in-person consultations to remain the primary method for LTFU service delivery, they expected significantly increased use of telemedicine and telephone consultations after the pandemic. On average, respondents reported highest levels of worry about psychosocial well-being of survivors. Conclusions: The pandemic necessitated changes in LTFU service delivery, including greater use of virtual LTFU care and risk-stratification to identify CCS that need in-person evaluations. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Increased utilisation of virtual LTFU care and risk stratification is likely to persist post-pandemic.