Vol 55, No 3 (2024)
Original research article
Published online: 2024-06-28

open access

Page views 376
Article views/downloads 84
Get Citation

Connect on Social Media

Connect on Social Media

International cooperation to secure access of patients in Ukraine to cellular therapies in conditions of Russian aggression

Kateryna Filonenko1, Jan Maciej Zaucha2, Syberyna Korenkova3, Serhii Klymenko4, Ewa Paszkiewicz-Kozik5, Ewa Lech-Maranda6, Agnieszka Kolkowska-Lesniak6, Maciej Majcherek7, Olha Kylivnyk8, Bartłomej Baumert9, Anna Falkowska10, Iuliia Iavorska11, Agnieszka Tomaszewska12, Katarzyna Czempik13, Maria Bieniaszewska2, Anna Czyz7, Wojciech Legiec8, Bogusław Machalinski9, Katarzyna Drabko10, Olga Grzybowska-Izydorczyk11, Agnieszka Wierzbowska11, Grzegorz Wladyslaw Basak12, Grzegorz Helbig13, Yana Stepanishyna14, Oleksandr Lysytsia15, Iryna Kriachok14, Iwona Hus16, Dietger Niederwieser17
Acta Haematol Pol 2024;55(3):168-173.

Abstract

Introduction: February 2022’s wholesale Russian invasion of Ukraine strongly impaired the availability of hematological treatments including hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) during the first months. Many activities were initiated by Ukrainian physicians with the support of the international community. Ukrainian refugees received almost unlimited access to treatment in some EU countries, such as Poland.

Material and methods: Activities of the ‘Help for Ukrainian Hematology Patients’ (HUP) initiative are described in this article. Information on HCT and cell therapy in refugee patients in Polish transplant centers was collected by questionnaire between 24 February 2022 and 24 February 2023.

Results: Data on 65 patients was available: 22 males and 43 females, with a median age of 35 years. The most frequent diagnoses were Hodgkin’s lymphoma (20 patients) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (17 patients). Allo-HCT was performed in 24 patients, auto-HCT in 36 patients and CAR-T-cells in five patients. Fourteen patients (21.5%) received treatment that was unavailable in Ukraine. The major challenges included social and language issues.

Conclusions: The number of initiatives of Ukrainian physicians and HUP led to a significant increase in the number of HCT procedures in Ukraine after the initial drop-down. The almost unlimited access to healthcare in some EU countries has allowed refugees to get treatment that is unavailable in Ukraine.

Article available in PDF format

View PDF Download PDF file

References

  1. Niederwieser D, Baldomero H, Bazuaye N, et al. One and a half million hematopoietic stem cell transplants: continuous and differential improvement in worldwide access with the use of non-identical family donors. Haematologica. 2022; 107(5): 1045–1053.
  2. Passweg JR, Baldomero H, Ciceri F, et al. Hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapies in Europe 2021. The second year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A Report from the EBMT Activity Survey. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2023; 58(6): 647–658.
  3. General number of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations performed by Ukrainian centers in 2022. https://utcc gov ua/statystyka/statystyka (22.04.2024).
  4. Strzelec A, Klima A, Gawlik-Rzemieniewska N, et al. A living drug: application of CAR-T therapy for lymphoid malignancies and beyond. Acta Haematol Pol. 2022; 53(4): 241–248.
  5. Korenkova I, Bitan M, Klymenko S, et al. Help for Ukrainian Hematology Patients (HUP): A global initiative supporting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) programs in a time of conflict. Transplant Cell Ther. 2023; 29(2): S301–S302.
  6. Number of Ukrainian citizens crossed the border in April 2023. https://twitter.com/Straz_Graniczna/status/1646391009226440706?s=20 (22.04.2024).
  7. Prusaczyk A, Bogdan M, Vinker S, et al. Health Care Organization in Poland in light of the refugee crisis related to the military conflict in Ukraine. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(5): 3831.
  8. Püsküllüoğlu M, Grela-Wojewoda A, Szczubiałka G, et al. Cancer care for Ukrainian refugees during the first 6 weeks of 2022 Russian invasion - An experience of a cancer reference centre in Poland. Eur J Cancer. 2023; 178: 234–242.
  9. Van Hemelrijck M, Fox L, Beyer K, et al. Cancer care for Ukrainian refugees: Strategic impact assessments in the early days of the conflict. J Cancer Policy. 2022; 34: 100370.
  10. Styczyński J, Dębski R, Czyżewski K, et al. Transborder program of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantations from unrelated donors for Ukrainian children between 2015–2020 in Bydgoszcz. Acta Haematol Pol. 2022; 53(6): 407–415.
  11. Information about the UABMT. https://www.ebmt.org/ebmt/news/foundation-ukrainian-association-bone-marrow-transplantation-uabmt (22.04.2024).
  12. Statistical data on number of all transplantation types in Ukraine. https://utcc.gov.ua/ (22.04.2024).