Patient Concerns on Access to Supportive Care Medicines and Symptom Management Outcomes Among Children with Cancer in Tanzania

Abstract

Background

Pediatric cancers cause significant morbidity and mortality among children in Tanzania. Chemotherapy remains the primary treatment, but it often leads to treatment-induced toxicities that necessitate supportive care medicines. This study assessed patient-reported concerns about access to supportive medicines and evaluated symptom management outcomes among children with cancer at a major referral hospital.

Method

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study over 6 months among children with cancer receiving chemotherapy at Bugando Medical Centre. Data on access to and utilization of supportive care medicines and symptom relief were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire, cleaned in Microsoft Excel 2019, and analyzed with STATA Version 15.

Results

Among 120 participants (61 female, 59 male), access to supportive care medicines was poor for 68.33%. Utilization was high at 99.17%. Most patients (62.50%) reported good symptom resolution after using supportive care medicines, whereas 37.50% continued to experience disruptions to daily activities due to chemotherapy-induced toxicities.

Discussion

Financial difficulties and limited insurance coverage contributed to poor access to supportive medicines. Despite this, utilization was high and associated with symptomatic improvement for most participants. These findings suggest that improved financial support and availability of supportive medicines could enhance symptom-management outcomes for children with cancer in Tanzania.