Cities of Federal Significance: Analysis of the Main Indicators Characterizing Medical Care for Children with Cancer in 2013–2017. An Ecological Study

Background: Moscow and St. Petersburg are cities of federal significance with the largest number of children and consequently a large number of primary patients identified annually.Objective: Our aim was to analyze the main indicators characterizing the delivery of medical care for children with cancer in cities of federal significance.Methods: The operative reports for 2013–2017 of the Department of Health of Moscow, the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region, the Health Committee of the Government of St. Petersburg, and the Health Committee of the Leningrad Region were analyzed.Results. In 2013–2017 in the Russian Federation, 18 090 primary patients were identified, 2734 (15.1%) of them in the analyzed subjects: in Moscow — 1315 (7.3%), in the Moscow Region — 492 (2.7%), in St. Petersburg — 697 (3.9%), in the Leningrad Region — 230 (1.3%). For 5 years, the number of primary patients increased in Moscow by 18.1%, in St. Petersburg — by 36%, in the Leningrad Region — by 2.5%. In the Moscow Region, the number of primary patients decreased by 2.3%. The incidence in Moscow increased by 5.3% (from 11.3 per 100 000 of children aged 0–17 in 2013 to 11.9 in 2017), in St. Petersburg — by 18.1% (from 14.9 in 2013 to 17.6 in 2017). The incidence in the Moscow Region fell by 20% (from 11.8 in 2013 to 9.4 in 2017), in the Leningrad Region by 4.9% (from 14.4 in 2013 to 13.7 in 2017). Mortality in 2016–2017 in Moscow decreased by 37.5% (from 6.4 per 100 thousand children’s population 0–17 years to 4), in the Moscow Region — by 50% (from 2 to 1), in St. Petersburg increased by 50% (from 2 to 3), in the Leningrad Region — by 12.5% (from 2.4 to 2.7). The one-year mortality rate in Moscow increased by 3.7% (from 8.3% in 2016 to 12% in 2017), in the Moscow Region — by 3.5% (from 5.4 to 8.9% %), in St. Petersburg — by 3.9% (from 2.5 to 6.4%). In the Leningrad Region, the one-year mortality rate decreased from 6.5% in 2016 to 0 in 2017. The number of pediatric oncological beds did not change in the Moscow Region (0.4 per 10,000 children aged 0–17 years), St. Petersburg (0.9), and the Leningrad Region (0). In Moscow and St. Petersburg patients were not identified actively in 2016–2017; in the Moscow Region, their percentage decreased from 34.2 to 7.3, in the Leningrad Region — from 8.7 to 0. In Moscow, the number of pediatric oncological beds increased by 50% (from 0.6 to 0.9). The number of oncologists increased in the Moscow Region from 0.009 per 10 000 children aged 0–17 years to 0.06 (66.7%), in St. Petersburg from 0.09 to 0.12 (+33.3%), in the Leningrad Region — from 0 to 0.03. In Moscow, the number of pediatric oncologists decreased from 0.13 to 0.11 (-15.3%).Conclusion: Defects of statistical data were revealed. Patients were not identified during routine preventive examinations which indicate a low oncologic alertness of district pediatric physicians. Delivery of medical care for children with cancer and the statistical data accumulation procedures should be improved.