Overview

Pediatric Hematology Oncology is a subspecialty in Pediatrics that deals with blood and cancer-related problems in children. Blood-related problems can be various types of anaemia, bleeding problems, thrombosis, etc. Like adults, children also have cancer. The most common childhood cancers include leukaemia (blood cancer), brain tumours, lymphomas and other solid tumours specific to children, for example, Hepatoblastoma (Liver tumour), Nephroblastoma (Kidney tumour), etc.

Pediatric Hematology Oncology - Pertinent Facts

About one million new cancers are diagnosed annually in India, and 3% of these occur in children. These 50,000 new paediatric cancers annually diagnosed in India comprise about 20% of all Paediatric cancers in the world. Most of these cancers are curable with early diagnosis and management in a dedicated paediatric haematology-oncology setup. As per WHO reports, survival in childhood cancer has improved significantly over 80% in high countries in the last few decades. However, an estimated 15-45% are cured in low and middle-income countries like ours. Roadblocks to success in our country are resource constraints, delayed presentation with advanced disease, malnutrition and treatment abandonment, etc. Lack of finances, distance from home, loss of job, place to stay, illiteracy, ignorance and cultural bias result in treatment abandonment, which is one of the major causes of poor survival in our country.

Pediatric Hematology Oncology - Diagnosis & Treatment at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Mysuru

Diagnosing and treating various childhood cancers are available at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Mysuru. The treatment is given at an affordable price utilising various government schemes, insurance and crowd-funding platforms. Surgical oncology, Radiation oncology, Blood bank, Nutrition and Medico Social Work and other allied specialities are working together to deliver the best possible comprehensive cancer care.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is cancer, and how does it develop? A. Cancer is an uncontrolled division of cells. Cancer begins when healthy cells change. and grow out of control. Normally, our body has some systems that keep the growth of cells under check. When this system fails, the cells keep dividing, leading to the growth of malformed, poorly functioning cells that are cancer cells. These cells spread from their origin to other sites in the body. In most cases, no reason can be found that leads to the development of cancer or its spread. Only 10% of children with cancer develop the disease because they inherit a faulty gene, for example, Fanconi anaemia, Down syndrome, etc.

Q. What is chemotherapy? A. Chemotherapy is a treatment regime that involves the use of a group of strong drugs called cytotoxic drugs. These drugs are used to treat serious diseases such as cancer. They work by destroying rapidly growing cancer cells in the body. There have been tremendous advances in chemotherapy in recent years. Fifty years ago, a child diagnosed with leukaemia, the most common childhood cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood, usually died within a few weeks. But today, four out of five children make a complete recovery. Many children who receive chemotherapy will recover from their cancer without suffering any long-term side effects.

Q. How does chemotherapy work? A. Normally, the body’s cells divide and function in a smoothly coordinated way. But when a child has cancer, the cancer cells divide rapidly. Chemotherapy medicines are designed to target these rapidly dividing cancer cells, interfering with how they multiply. Cancer chemotherapy also affects normal cells but can recover more quickly than cancer cells; therefore, damage to them is short-term.

Q. How is it given? A. Chemotherapy can be given in different ways, depending on the type of cancer a child has and the type of drugs that are going to be used. The most common ways to administer chemotherapy are orally (by mouth) as either tablets or liquid or by injection directly into the bloodstream.

In preparation for chemotherapy, a child will often have a central line inserted. It involves a small surgical procedure to insert a long-term narrow tube threaded into a major blood vessel. It provides easy access to the blood system for giving chemotherapy and taking blood samples and protects the child from regular injections.

Q. What is a central line? Why is it required? Can we do without it? A. Central lines are a vital component of treatment for leukaemia. It works as a lifeline for these patients. Once inserted, everything happens through the central lines, whether it's blood samples, chemotherapy administration or administration of supportive care in the form of antimicrobials or blood products. While they serve as a lifeline for patients, they also increase the risk of infections by forming a direct connection between the outside environment and the blood. Any breach should thus be avoided to keep the lines free from infection.

There are three different types of central venous catheters, and it largely depends on the unit policy about their preference for one over the other.