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 second set of interviews 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 Prof Natacha Bolaños (Lymphoma Coalition, Madrid, Spain) discuss the impact of the war in Ukraine on haematological cancer patients a year on from their previous discussion.

Since their last discussion, which can be found here, Prof Bolaños provides an update discussing the challenges Lymphoma Coalition have faced and highlights the psychological impact patients have faced as a consequence of the ongoing conflict.

She then discusses her concerns for the capacity in Ukraine to deliver treatments for haematological cancers in the next 6-12 months.

Prof Bolaños concludes by highlighting a potential future shift in Ukrainian haematological cancer patients treatment expectations based on the care they have now received in other countries.

You can read more about the Special Network here and here