How You Can Help Ukrainian Cancer Patients At ‘Grave Risk’

"Disruptions to cancer treatment pose a grave risk to the survival of Ukrainian patients with cancer," said Dr. Karen Knudsen, the society's CEO, in a statement.

The situation is becoming increasingly desperate with hospitals having become targets. One was a cancer hospital in Mykolaiv. Another was a maternity hospital in Mariupol that resulted in three deaths, reportedly including a child, the Associated Press reported.

The World Health Organization said via Twitter Thursday that it has verified 26 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine in total. They have left 12 dead and 34 injured.

"Some cancer centers have been destroyed. Others are in areas where there are active hostilities," said Dr. Mariia Kukushikina of the National Cancer Institute of Ukraine in Kyiv, in a podcast interview with Dr. John Sweetenham of the UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center in Texas.

Those that remain are only providing outpatient treatments and urgent surgeries, she said. Hospitals in the safer areas of western Ukraine are now overloaded with patients. Kukushikina also said surrounding countries are taking some of the patients.

Volunteers Needed

The American Cancer Society reports its network of oncologists and nurses through its Clinical Volunteer Corps are working with its National Cancer Information Center to take calls and answer questions from those in Eastern Europe.

As part of the effort, the American Society of Clinical Oncology is reaching out to the cancer care community to try recruit those who can speak Eastern European languages, especially Ukrainian, for the volunteer effort. ASCO says it represents oncology professionals not only in Ukraine, but in surrounding nations where refugees have been seeking safety Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia and Hungary.

• Those with the needed language skills can sign up at [email protected] and non-members can apply here.

"The world's cancer community is coming together in solidarity to provide support for the countless displaced patients whose cancer treatments have been disrupted and now need help finding care," said Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer and executive vice president of ASCO, in a statement.

How You Can Help

• The American Cancer Society's Cancer Crisis Response Fund aids people with cancer, caregivers and health care professionals during times of crisis.  You can donate here.
• The Tabletochki Charity Foundation based in Kyiv, Ukraine has been trying to raise funds in order to aid pediatric cancer patients in the war-torn nation, saying it has been able to continue its work despite the danger. The Foundation has set a $500,000 goal. As of Thursday morning, it had raised $304,036 from 2,419 donors toward its goal.  You can donate here.
• St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital has partnered with Fundacja Herosi (a charity in Ukraine) to coordinate humanitarian efforts, assisting the transition and continuation of care and treatment of Ukrainian children with cancer to hospitals in Poland and abroad.  You can donate here.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross is responding to urgent humanitarian needs on the ground in Urkaine. You can donate here.

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