Diagnosis is the basis of the fight against childhood cancer

2023-04-28 22:21:54

Accurately diagnosing cancer in children is crucial to the patient’s recovery. This is the alert of the participants of the International Congress of Children with Complex Health Conditions, which took place in Brasília and ended this Friday (4/28). The event is organized by Hospital da Criança de Brasília José Alencar (HCB) in partnership with Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, in Barcelona.

“The precise diagnosis allows choosing a treatment that can be more efficient for the patient”, said the president of the Brazilian Society of Pediatric Oncology (SOBOPE), Neviçolino Pereira de Carvalho, during the table held this Friday.

Carvalho highlighted that the delay in diagnosing pediatric cancer reduces the chances of cure or survival. Currently, according to him, one in five patients under the age of 18 who face cancer dies before even starting treatment.

“We need to overcome all obstacles related to early diagnosis. In this way, children will receive therapies specific to their situation, which can guarantee a better chance of cure. We want them to become productive adults in the future, with the least possible consequences”, he highlighted.

According to Carvalho, currently, at least four out of ten children and adolescents are not treated in hospitals recognized by the Ministry of Health to receive cancer patients.

“Many children over 12 years old are not treated by pediatricians in basic health services, who might better recognize the problem. This needs to change. We have to equalize the opportunities so that any child and adolescent who has cancer can have a chance of being cured”, argues the doctor.

Cooperation is also key

The experts pointed out that the fight once morest pediatric cancer requires collaboration between health professionals. Pediatric oncologist Guillermo Chantada, from Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, said that the exchange of views allows doctors to enrich information regarding diseases, especially rare conditions.

“We need to extend the scope of initiatives to the population of adolescents and young people to guarantee equity in access to the best resources available for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with pediatric cancer”, said Chantada.

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