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General Information
This cancer treatment information summary provides an
overview of the treatment of unusual cancers of childhood. The National Cancer Institute provides the PDQ pediatric cancer treatment information summaries as a public service to increase the availability of evidence-based cancer information to health professionals, patients, and the public. These summaries are updated regularly according to the latest published research findings by an Editorial Board of pediatric oncology specialists. Cancer in children and adolescents is rare. Children and adolescents with
cancer should be referred to medical centers that have a multidisciplinary team
of cancer specialists with experience treating the cancers that occur during
childhood and adolescence. This multidisciplinary team approach incorporates the skills
of the primary care physician, pediatric surgical subspecialists, radiation
oncologists, pediatric medical oncologists/hematologists, rehabilitation
specialists, pediatric nurse specialists, social workers, and others in order
to ensure that children receive treatment, supportive care, and rehabilitation
that will achieve optimal survival and quality of life. Refer to the PDQ Supportive Care summaries for specific information about supportive care for children and adolescents with cancer. Guidelines for
pediatric cancer centers and their role in the treatment of pediatric patients
with cancer have been outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics.[1] At
these pediatric cancer centers, clinical trials are available for most types of cancer that occur in children and adolescents, and the opportunity
to participate in these trials is offered to most patients/families. Clinical
trials for children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer are generally
designed to compare potentially better therapy with therapy that is currently
accepted as standard. Most of the progress made in identifying curative
therapies for childhood cancers has been achieved through clinical trials.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Cancer.gov
Web site. In recent decades, dramatic improvements in survival have been achieved for children and adolescents with cancer. Childhood and adolescent cancer survivors require close follow-up because cancer therapy side effects may persist or develop months or years after treatment. Refer to the PDQ Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Therapies summary for specific information about the incidence, type, and monitoring of late effects in childhood and adolescent cancer survivors. The tumors discussed in this summary are diverse; the discussion is arranged in
descending anatomic order, from infrequent tumors of the head and neck to rare
tumors of the urogenital tract and skin. All of these cancers are rare enough
that most pediatric hospitals might see fewer than 2 in a year. Most of
these tumors are more frequent in adults with cancer; thus, much of the
information about these tumors may also be sought through sources relevant to
adults with cancer.
References
- Guidelines for the pediatric cancer center and role of such centers in diagnosis and treatment. American Academy of Pediatrics Section Statement Section on Hematology/Oncology. Pediatrics 99 (1): 139-41, 1997.
[PUBMED Abstract]
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