Late Effects of Therapy, Stigmatization and Social Reintegration following Childhood Cancer Survival in Kenya: A Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30442/ahr.0804-08-183Abstract
Childhood cancer survival is increasing in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya, which comes with a new healthcare challenge: late effects and quality-of-life of survivors. A case was studied to depict a Kenyan Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, illustrating some of the childhood cancer survivors' difficulties in Kenya. Late effects of therapy, stigmatization and social reintegration were explored. The investigators reviewed medical records and used semi-structured interviews and stigma assessments using the Social Impact Scale. The survivor developed severe pulmonary hypertension during treatment with ABVD and salvage protocols. Three years after treatment, the patient experienced chemotherapy-induced late effects (chronic heart disease) that hindered personal care, social activities and job opportunities and required follow-up. Stigmatization by the community burdened his family life and marital prospects. This case report is one of the first that testifies of combined medical and psychosocial challenges that childhood cancer survivors may face in sub-Saharan Africa and underlines the need for a holistic approach.
References
Ward E, DeSantis C, Robbins A, Kohler B, Jemal A. Childhood and adolescent cancer statistics, 2014. CA Cancer J Clin 2014;64:83-103. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21219
Geenen MM, Cardous-Ubbink MC, Kremer LC, van den Bos C, van der Pal HJ, Heinen RC, et al. Medical assessment of adverse health outcomes in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. JAMA 2007;297:2705-2715. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.297.24.2705
Kim MA, Yi J. Life after cancer: How does public stigma increase psychological distress of childhood cancer survivors? Int J Nurs Stud 2014;51:1605-1614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.04.005
Gurney JG, Krull KR, Kadan-Lottick N, Nicholson HS, Nathan PC, Zebrack B, et al. Social outcomes in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. J Clin Oncol 2009;27:2390-2395. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2008.21.1458
Van Gorp M, van Erp LME, Maas A, Kremer LCM, van Dulmen-den Broeder E, Tissing WJE, et al. Increased health-related quality of life impairments of male and female survivors of childhood cancer: DCCSS LATER 2 psycho-oncology study. Cancer 2022;128:1074-1084. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34003
Olbara G, Martijn HA, Njuguna F, Langat S, Martin S, Skiles J, et al. Influence of health insurance status on childhood cancer treatment outcomes in Kenya. Support Care Cancer 2020;28:917-924. https:doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04859-1
Uittenboogaard A, Njuguna F, Mostert S, Langat S, van de Velde ME, Olbara G, et al. Outcomes of Wilms tumor treatment in western Kenya. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2021:e29503. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.29503
Van Zyl A, Rogers PC, Kruger M. Current childhood cancer survivor long-term follow-up practices in South Africa. J Adv Pediatr Child Health 2020;3:001-007.
Gedleh A, Lee S, Hill JA, Umukunda Y, Qaiser S, Kabiru J, et al. "Where Does it Come from?" Experiences Among Survivors and Parents of Children with Retinoblastoma in Kenya. J Genet Couns 2018;27:574-588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-017-0174-8
El Malla H. Having a Child Diagnosed with Cancer: Raising the Challenges Encountered by the Caregivers at the Pediatric Oncology Ward in Egypt. Diseases 2017;5. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases5040036
Afungchwi GM, Hesseling P, van Elsland SL, Kouya F, Kruger M. Destitution, treatment adherence and survival of children with Burkitt lymphoma in a twinning programme in Northwest Cameroon. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2019;66:e27946. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.27946
Israëls T, Kambugu J, Kouya F, El-Mallawany NK, Hesseling PB, Kaspers GJ, et al. Clinical trials to improve childhood cancer care and survival in sub-Saharan Africa. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2013;10:599-604. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.137
Fife BL, Wright ER. The Dimensionality of Stigma: A Comparison of Its Impact on the Self of Persons with HIV/AIDS and Cancer. J Health Soc Behavior 2000;41. https://doi.org/10.2307/2676360
(SKION) SKN. Richtlijn follow-up na kinderkanker deel 1 2010 [Available from: https://www.skion.nl/workspace/uploads/richtlijn_follow-up_na_kinderkanker_deel_1_boekje_met_aanbevelingen_1.pdf.
Tantawy AA, Elmasry OA, Shaaban M, Toaima DN, El Shahat AM. Radionuclide ventriculography detects early anthracycline cardiotoxicity in children with Hodgkin lymphoma. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2011;33:e132-7. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPH.0b013e318212eb6b
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Annals of Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The articles and other materials published in the Annals of Health Research are protected by the Nigerian Copyright laws. The journal owns the copyright over every article, scientific and intellectual materials published in it. However, the journal grants all authors, users and researchers access to the materials published in the journal with the permission to copy, use and distribute the materials contained therein only for academic, scientific and non-commercial purposes.
