RESULTS
Nineteen questionnaires were completed out of a total of 32 families who had received them. The age of the patients ranged from 0 to 17 years (median 11). The gender of the patients was not included among the questions in the questionnaire, but in the reference population the two components were exactly 50% each. Diagnoses were central nervous system (CNS) tumors in 10 cases, osteosarcoma in 5, neuroblastoma in 4, and different diagnoses in the remaining 13 patients as shown by table 2.
In order to classify the patients according to their estimated prognosis, we utilized different tumor-specific staging systems, i.e. the Chang system for CNS neoplasms, the INRGSS for neuroblastoma, the National Wilm’s Tumor Study system for nephroblastoma, the TNM for osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma, the Reese and Ellsworth system for retinoblastoma, the Ann-Harbor system for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. For those tumor types for which a staging system was not available, the presence of metastases and resistance to previous treatments were considered as severe prognostic factors.9 Patients were therefore divided into two groups according to these principles, as shown in Table 2.
Table 3 shows how the flight from Ukraine was managed from the very beginning of the conflict together with an opinion on the sustainment of care from the time patients were admitted to Italian hospitals.
Regarding the questions on the emotions felt upon arrival in Italy, 44% of the responders said that “hope” was their main feeling, followed by fear, sadness and relief in 16% of the cases.
As for prior knowledge about Italy, 42% of the responders said that they had already heard of Italy for its cities and monuments, 24% for famous films and actors, with only 12% having acquaintances or friends in our country. Seventy-four percent had a positive opinion of Italy prior to leaving Ukraine and 63% changed it for the better after arriving.
Sixty-three percent expected to be welcomed in Italy for a long period, necessary for the care of their children. Only 16% hoped to be able to move permanently, and in the free note section, they demonstrated a widespread desire, in the near or distant future, to be able to return to their homeland. Italians were perceived as kind (95%), generous (58%), and the quality most often mentioned was goodness (6/19).
Table 4 summarizes the attitude toward care received in Italy: most parents reported that they believed their children were cared with the same attention as Italian patients, and had good relationship with Italian healthcare staff and, in general, with the Italian population.
When asked if there were issues and possible improvements for their stay in Italy, respondents correlated amelioration with the positive outcome for their children (15%), the presence of the whole family (15%), the end of the war (10%), and the overcoming of language barriers (10%).