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?:abstract
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INTRODUCTION: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has affected modern medicine and healthcare provision profoundly. National and regional experiences with COVID-19 have been hugely variable across the globe, reflecting ethnic, governmental, cultural, economic and healthcare differences. This thematic analysis was performed to identify scientific and clinical literature relating to the impact of COVID-19 on children with cancer and treatment. METHODS: The NHS Evidence portal was used to conduct a healthcare database advanced literature search. Duplicates were removed. Remaining results were screened using clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: 172 results were identified and data extracted. Literature was identified from all 5 continents, with lower and middle income countries well represented. Key themes identified included: 1: Impact on patients already diagnosed, including decreased treatment regimens, impact on outpatient clinics, COVID susceptibility and travel restrictions; 2: Delays in presentation and diagnosis, and national screening programs; 3: The impact of COVID on healthcare professionals; 4: Impact on current and future research; 5: Consequence of global economic crisis on childhood cancer care; 6: Impact on long-term survivorship, late effects and surveillance monitoring. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 has had a profound effect on health care, and the literature reflects the extent to which communities involved in childhood cancer care have worked together to minimise the impact. It is inevitable that there have been consequences of the pandemic on the treatment of existing patients, and the diagnosis of new ones, but evidence suggest these effects in the short term are minimal. The greatest concerns are for immediate and short-term research conduct.
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