Late effects of childhood cancer survivors in Africa: A scoping review

Jesse Lemmen, Festus Njuguna, Sanne Verhulst, Terry A. Vik, Johannes C. F. Ket, Gertjan J. L. Kaspers, Saskia Mostert

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: The number of children surviving cancer in Africa is increasing. Knowledge about late effects of survivors is lacking. Our study maps literature regarding late effects of childhood cancer survivors in Africa. Methods: Scoping review was performed following JBI-guidelines. Systematic literature search was conducted in: Medline, Embase, African Index Medicus, Web of Science, Scopus, Psycinfo. Titles and abstracts were screened by two reviewers, followed by full-text analysis by the lead reviewer. Results: Sixty-eight studies were included for content analysis. Studies originated from 10 of 54 African countries. Most studies had retrospective study design, 2–5 years follow-up, solely chemotherapy as treatment modality, Egypt as country of origin. Fifty-three studies described physical, and seventeen studies described psychosocial late effects. Conclusion: Literature concerning late effects is available from a limited number of African countries. Psychosocial domain lacks attention compared to the physical domain. More countries should report on this topic to prevent, identify and monitor late effects.
Original languageEnglish
Article number103981
JournalCritical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
Volume185
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2023

Keywords

  • Africa
  • Aftercare
  • Neoplasms
  • Pediatrics
  • Survivorship

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