The invasion by Russia of Ukraine on the 24th February 2022 has created a massive humanitarian crisis for Ukraine and Europe generating huge challenges for cancer and palliative care. As of the 1st May some 12-13 million Ukrainian citizens were still trapped in active conflict zones, nearly 8 million had become internally displaced, mostly to the West, and nearly 6 million had left to become refugees.



In support of the WHO Ukraine Cancer Emergency Response and the ECO-ASCO Special Network: Impact of the War in Ukraine on Cancer ecancer has commissioned a special set of interviews with some of the key actors in the cancer humanitarian response both within and outside Ukraine.

This first set of interviews, conducted some 2 months into the conflict, serve both as sources of on-the-ground experience and as living witness and testament to the extraordinary work of doctors, patient organisations, professional groups and UN agencies such as WHO in their efforts to adapt to the many challenges.

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Prof Richard Sullivan (Kings College London, London, UK) and Katie Rizvi (Youth Cancer Europe, Cluj-Napoca, Romania) discuss the impact of the war in Ukraine on cancer.

Since the beginning of the crisis, Youth Cancer Europe have been accepting requests from any individual affected by cancer, not just those under 40.

Katie explains those affected are medically evacuated from Ukraine to Poland, in order to access the appropriate treatment needed.

She also explains the multiple ways in which they are contacted to aid those affected.



You can read more about the Special Network here and here