Childhood Cancer, Childhood Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic, COVID-19
Conditions
Keywords
Childhood Cancer, Childhood Cancer Incidence, Childhood Cancer Survival, Childhood Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic, Cohort Study, Register Study
Brief summary
The investigators will first examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood cancer patients in Sweden and Denmark, both regarding susceptibility to severe COVID-19 among long-term childhood cancer survivors, and, for those diagnosed with childhood cancer during the pandemic, whether the path through primary care to cancer diagnosis as well as short-term survival has changed. Second, the investigators will study childhood cancer incidence before, during and after the pandemic with the particular aim to test the hypothesis regarding an infectious disease etiology for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
The Swedish Research Council
The Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund
Karolinska Institutet
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
0 Years to 19 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
for studying severe COVID-19 among childhood cancer survivors: * Childhood cancer cases (age 0-19) diagnosed from 1971 in Sweden and Denmark who were alive five years after diagnosis * Two different comparisons groups: five age- and sex-matched comparisons for each childhood cancer survivor as well as all siblings of the childhood cancer survivors. * All childhood cancer survivors, matched comparisons, and siblings of the survivors should be 20+ at the start of 2020. Inclusion Criteria for studying childhood cancer incidence and survival and number of contacts with healthcare before the childhood cancer diagnosis: \- All children (age 0-19) diagnosed with cancer from 2015 in Sweden and Denmark
Exclusion criteria
* No
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Severe COVID-19 | Up to 3 years | Defined as: * death with COVID-19 listed as a cause of death * hospitalization, or admission to intensive care unit, because of COVID-19 (main diagnosis) or respiratory problems (main diagnosis) AND COVID-19 as secondary diagnosis |
| Childhood cancer survival | After three and twelve months after the cancer diagnosis and three years after cancer diagnosis | Overall survival after a childhood cancer diagnosis |
| Number of contacts before childhood cancer diagnosis | One year before cancer diagnosis | Number of healthcare contacts (including primary care) the year before the cancer diagnosis |
| Childhood cancer incidence | From 2015 | Age standardized incidence rates for childhood cancer and cancer subtypes (particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia) in Sweden and Denmark during and after the pandemic and compare it to the 5 years preceding the pandemic |
Countries
Sweden
Outcome results
None listed