Step 1: Definition & Location
Focuses on cancers occurring from infancy through adolescence (0-18 years). Common types differ from adults (e.g., Leukemias, Brain Tumors, Lymphomas, Sarcomas).
What is Pediatric Oncology?
- Definition: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up of cancer in children and adolescents.
- Primary Goal:To maximize the cure rate (which is significantly higher than in adults for many cancers) while minimizing the long-term toxicity and impact on the child's future health and development.
Key Procedures (Treatment)
- Chemotherapy (Protocol-Based): Administration of high-intensity drugs following strict, phase-based national/international protocols to ensure maximum efficacy and reduce heterogeneity.
- Surgery (Minimal Invasion): Procedures performed by specialized pediatric surgeons, focused on removing the tumor while preserving maximum function and minimizing future growth interference.
- Radiation Therapy (Precise & Limited): Used selectively and delivered with extreme precision (e.g., Proton Therapy, where available) to reduce damage to growing organs and minimize secondary cancer risk.
- Stem Cell Transplant (SCT): Used for high-risk leukemias, neuroblastoma, and certain solid tumors, involving high-dose chemo followed by transplantation of healthy stem cells.
Palliative & Supportive Care
- Pain Management: Comprehensive pain control tailored to children, including procedural sedation and managing chronic neuropathic pain.
- Infection Control: Intensive management of immunosuppression due to chemotherapy, requiring strict infection prevention and prompt treatment of fevers.
- Psychosocial Support: Dedicated child life specialists, social workers, and counselors to help the child and siblings cope with hospitalization, fear, and emotional trauma.
- Nutritional Support: Specialized feeding and dietary management, critical for growth, development, and tolerating high-intensity treatment.
Benefits of Specialized Pediatric Oncology
- Protocol-Driven Care: Treatment is guided by proven, cooperative group protocols, ensuring the child receives the most current, evidence-based therapy.
- Focus on Survivorship: Lifelong follow-up programs (Survivorship Clinics) dedicated to monitoring and managing the unique long-term side effects (late effects) of childhood cancer treatment.
- Access to Clinical Trials: High enrollment in clinical trials provides access to cutting-edge therapies specifically designed for pediatric cancers.
- Family-Centered Approach: Care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes parents and caregivers in every stage of the decision-making process.