Socioeconomic Outcomes of Childhood Cancer Survivors in India: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Tertiary Care Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program
Rahul Kumar, Archana Sasi, Shubham Sahni, Aparajita Sharma, Vedant Vaidya, Venkatesan Sampath Kumar, Rachna Meel, Shah Alam Khan, Sandeep Agarwala, Swetambri Sharma, Mamta Kumari, Shubhangi Sharma, Bhavika Tahiliani, Shivam Gupta, Poonam Bagai, Sonal Sharma, Chandan Kumar, Atul Batra, Deepam Pushpam, Shuvadeep Ganguly, Sameer BakhshiPURPOSE
Childhood cancer has high cure rates; however, data on long-term socioeconomic challenges faced by survivors, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are limited. We aimed to identify issues related to educational disruption, employment, and financial hardship among childhood cancer survivors.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study of survivors enrolled in the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program at a tertiary cancer center in India (December 2020-March 2025). Eligible survivors were aged 21 years and younger at diagnosis and had completed therapy. Clinical and sociodemographic data were abstracted from records and structured proforma. Logistic regression with forward stepwise modeling was used to identify predictors of educational, financial, and employment challenges.
RESULTS
We included 1,098 survivors. The median age was 16 years at evaluation, and 74.7% were male. Among those diagnosed at age 5-21 years (n = 764), 85% reported educational disruption (median 1.75 years). Relocation from the hometown for therapy (odds ratio [OR], 1.8;
CONCLUSION
For Indian childhood cancer survivors, cure carries hidden costs of disrupted education, financial strain, and workplace barriers. Survivorship care in resource-constrained settings should integrate school reintegration, financial protection, and vocational support.