Παγκόσμια Ημέρα κατά του Παιδικού Καρκίνου
February 15th has been established as International Childhood Cancer Day, honoring all children and their families who are fighting their own personal battles, while also raising global awareness about the impact of the disease on children. On this occasion, I would like to highlight the following points:
The prognosis for neoplastic diseases in children has improved over the last 20 years, and the survival rate of children with cancer has risen significantly in both Western Europe and the United States. Nevertheless, childhood cancer remains the second leading cause of death, following accidents. In our country, the survival rate for children with all types of cancer reaches 65–75% (matching that of Western Europe and the US), while for certain types, such as lymphoblastic leukemia, it exceeds 80%.
Key factors contributing to this progress in our country include treatment by teams of specialized pediatricians (hematologist-oncologists), hospitalization in specialized centers staffed by expert nursing personnel, and the use of established therapeutic protocols. In our country, approximately 250 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed annually; however, this figure is expected to rise as adolescents up to the age of 18 come under the care of pediatricians—a practice already established in many other countries. This measure will further improve the prognosis for this age group, as demonstrated by numerous comparative studies showing superior outcomes when treatment takes place in pediatric units rather than adult wards.
Early diagnosis is undoubtedly a critical factor in the disease outcome. This requires:
- Adequate information for parents regarding the warning signs and symptoms of childhood cancer.
- Sufficient knowledge on the part of the pediatrician to ensure the immediate referral of young patients to a Pediatric Oncology Department; and
- Continuous on-call coverage by the Pediatric Oncology Clinics (Departments) operating in the country, so that the diagnostic process can begin immediately.
Improving oncological care for pediatric patients must be a priority for the National Health System. Health—and access to it—is every child’s right.
