Restoring health and hope to displaced Gaza children with malignant disease at a cancer centre in Jordan

Abstract

Background: Gaza children with cancer have faced critical delays in diagnosis and treatment due to the conflict, leading to late-stage presentation. Aim: To assess the impact of disruptions on treatment outcome for Gaza children with cancer treated at King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan. Methods: We collected and analysed data from Gaza children aged 0–21 years with malignant disease, who were evacuated and received treatment at King Hussein Cancer Center between October 2023 and October 2024. We used the Kaplan–Meier survival estimates to analyse their overall survival rate. Results: Fifty-one Gaza children received treatment for cancer at the centre during the study period; median age 8.2 years, 66.7% male. Of the cases, 25.5% were newly diagnosed, 11.8% were relapsed and 62.7% had been previously treated in Gaza; 39.2% had leukaemia and 21.6% had solid tumours. Their referral had been delayed by 3–4 months, and at presentation, 51% exhibited psychological distress and 27.5% were underweight. After 4 months of follow-up, 96% survived. Conclusion: Most of the children experienced delays in diagnosis, referral and treatment and these impacted their treatment outcomes. Well-coordinated strategies such as streamlined referral systems, cross-border collaborations and timely medical evacuations through protected humanitarian corridors are crucial to provide life-saving care for paediatric cancer patients in Gaza and similar conflict zones.