Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on childhood cancer incidence and stage in France – A national registry-based study

<h2>ABSTRACT</h2> COVID-19 pandemic has considerably affected access to healthcare ressources with global decline in cancer care activities in 2020. This national study aimed to assess a possible impact of the pandemic on the management of pediatric cancer cases. <h3>Methods</h3> The study was based on the French National Childhood Cancer Registry and included all cases of cancer under 18 years of age diagnosed between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020. We estimated incidence rates, the proportion of advanced/metastatic stages (Toronto Pediatric Cancer Stage Guidelines) and the distribution of treatment initiation time during the 2020 pandemic period compared to the 2016-2019 reference period. <h3>Results</h3> Age-standardized incidence rates of overall pediatric cancer were similar in 2020 (161.4 cases per million person-years; 2,250 cases) and in 2016–2019 (162.4 cases per million person-years; 9,208 cases). They were also similar by sex, age group, region, and cancer type. We did not observe any significant differences in stage at diagnosis or median time to treatment. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Our nationwide population-based study suggests that pediatric cancer management was not substantially altered in 2020, despite the challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown.