Medical Care for Children with Cancer in the Donetsk People’s Republic: Results of an Ecological Study in 2014–2017

Abstract

Background.Analysis of medical care delivery for children with cancer in armed conflict is highly important because the high-tech treatment in this context is extraordinary difficult and challenging task. Objective. Our aim was to analyze the morbidity and mortality rates in children with malignant tumors, to assess the pediatric patient capacity and medical service density in the Donetsk People’s Republic.Methods.The ecological study was conducted where the units of analysis were represented by the aggregated data of the Republican Cancer Registry on the number of primary and secondary patients with malignant and benign tumors, the deceased patients in the DNR in 2014–2017, pediatric patient capacity, and medical service density.Results.The number of pediatric patient capacity for children with cancer was 10 (0.27 per 10,000 children aged 0–17), pediatric patient capacity for children with hematological disorders — 40 (1.37 per 10,000 children aged 0–17). The treatment of children with cancer was performed by 5 healthcare providers: 1 pediatric oncologist (0.02 per 10,000 children aged 0–17), 3 hematologists (0.08 per 10,000 pediatric population aged 0–17), and 1 practitioner who did not have a specialist certificate in oncology. Morbidity rate for malignant neoplasms from 2014 to 2017 decreased by 25% (in 2014 — 9.6 per 10,000 children aged 0–17; in 2017 — 7.2). In the morbidity structure, the incidence proportion of hemoblastoses was 68.4%, brain tumors — 2.6%, other solid tumors — 29%. The death rate due to malignant neoplasms decreased by 37% (in 2014 — 2.7; in 2017 — 1.7).Conclusion.Low levels of the incidence rate and pattern of morbidity indicate defects in the identification and recording of patients. This explains the performance of the bed: low average bed occupancy per year and low turnover. For a reliable analysis of mortality statistical data is not available: in 2014–2015 only the number of in-hospital deceased patients is presented. Limited data is due to the lack of reliable patient catamnesis which is explained by the high rate of population migration.