Sahin Taha Koray, Kaygusuz Yunus, İcli Mehmet Cihan, Aksoy Sercan, Guven Deniz Can
Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Curr Med Res Opin. 2025 Jan;41(1):83-91. doi: 10.1080/03007995.2024.2445757. Epub 2024 Dec 24.
The recent outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) poses significant public health challenges, particularly for immunocompromised populations such as patients with cancer. However, misinformation poses a significant challenge during new outbreaks for patients with chronic diseases, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we aimed to assess perspectives and knowledge of patients with cancer on mpox and their willingness to receive mpox vaccination.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with cancer using a structured questionnaire. The survey encompassed sociodemographic data, mpox knowledge, attitudes towards vaccination, and willingness to mpox vaccination. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of vaccination willingness.
A total of 275 patients were included. A significant majority (73.1%) of respondents wanted to learn more about mpox, and 33.8% were confident in global efforts to control the outbreak. 69.1% of the patients were unwilling to receive the mpox vaccine, mainly due to safety concerns and the interference with the anti-cancer treatment. In multivariable analysis, younger age (<65 years) (OR = 1.836, 95% CI:1.030-3.271, = 0.039), information about mpox before (OR = 1.899, 95% CI:1.104-3.268, = 0.021) and good knowledge about mpox (OR = 1.968, 95% CI:1.118-3.465, = 0.019) were significant predictors of willingness to vaccinate against mpox.
A substantial proportion of cancer patients in Turkey are hesitant to receive the mpox vaccine, primarily due to concerns about safety and its implications for cancer treatment. Targeted educational interventions that address these specific concerns and enhance understanding of the benefits of vaccination are critical to improving vaccine uptake in this vulnerable population.
近期猴痘（mpox）疫情给公共卫生带来了重大挑战，尤其是对癌症患者等免疫功能低下人群。然而，正如在新冠疫情期间所观察到的那样，在新疫情爆发期间，错误信息给慢性病患者带来了重大挑战。因此，我们旨在评估癌症患者对猴痘的看法和知识以及他们接种猴痘疫苗的意愿。
使用结构化问卷对癌症患者进行了一项横断面研究。该调查涵盖了社会人口统计学数据、猴痘知识、对疫苗接种的态度以及接种猴痘疫苗的意愿。进行多变量逻辑回归分析以确定接种意愿的独立预测因素。
共纳入275名患者。绝大多数（73.1%）受访者希望更多地了解猴痘，33.8%的人对全球控制疫情的努力有信心。69.1%的患者不愿意接种猴痘疫苗，主要是出于安全担忧以及对接癌治疗的干扰。在多变量分析中，年龄较小（<65岁）（比值比=1.836，95%置信区间：1.030 - 3.271，P = 0.039）、之前了解过猴痘信息（比值比=1.899，95%置信区间：1.104 - 3.268，P = 0.021）以及对猴痘有充分了解（比值比=1.968，95%置信区间：1.118 - 3.465，P = 0.019）是接种猴痘疫苗意愿的显著预测因素。
土耳其相当一部分癌症患者对接种猴痘疫苗犹豫不决，主要是因为担心安全性及其对癌症治疗的影响。针对这些具体担忧并增强对疫苗接种益处理解的针对性教育干预措施，对于提高这一脆弱人群的疫苗接种率至关重要。
