How are Ukrainian children and adolescents with cancer who fled to Switzerland at the start of the war in Ukraine doing? Paediatric oncologist Rahel Kasteler investigated this question with the support of the SPOG Young Investigator Grant. The study has just been published.
The war in Ukraine disrupted cancer treatment for many children and adolescents from 2022 onwards. In the first year of the war alone, 37 patients arrived in Switzerland with their families through an international aid initiative, while others arrived through privately organised transport. They were referred to the nine paediatric cancer centres in Switzerland.
At five of these centres, a study team led by Rahel Kasteler used a Ukrainian-language questionnaire to ask families about the children’s health-related quality of life. The children and adolescents reported on their own well-being, while the parents also assessed their child’s well-being. Of the 23 families approached, 14 took part in the survey. For this study, Rahel Kasteler received support from the SPOG Young Investigator Grant. The results were recently published in Current Oncology [1].
Lower quality of life among older Ukrainian children and adolescents with cancer
The study shows that older Ukrainian children and adolescents with cancer in Switzerland tended to report a lower quality of life than younger children; this was particularly the case in terms of physical functioning. Emotional and social well-being varied less according to age but tended to be lower among adolescents.
The study was small, and the effects of war-related displacement, cancer, and treatment cannot be separated from one another. Nevertheless, the authors consider the results an indication that displaced children and adolescents with cancer need age-appropriate support, including in physical rehabilitation.
About the study author
Paediatric oncologist Rahel Kasteler was awarded a SPOG Young Investigator Grant in 2022. She currently works as a research associate and senior physician at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich.
References
- Kasteler R, Farrag A, Klein-Franke A, Mazzara C, Ceppi F, Vetter C, von der Weid N, Scheinemann K. Quality of Life in Ukrainian Children and Adolescents with Cancer Relocated to Switzerland During the Russian-Ukrainian War: An Exploratory Multicenter Study. Oncol. 2026, 33(9), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol33090553
Brigitte Casanova
Brigitte Casanova supports SPOG communication projects; as a Germanist, she complements the science-oriented team at the Coordinating Centre.
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