TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of the pediatric neuro-oncology resources available in Chile
AU - Abu-Arja, Mohammad H.
AU - Del Río, Nicolás Rojas
AU - La Madrid, Andres Morales
AU - Lassaletta, Alvaro
AU - Coven, Scott L.
AU - Moreno, Rosa
AU - Valero, Miguel
AU - Perez, Veronica
AU - Espinoza, Felipe
AU - Fernandez, Eduardo
AU - Santander, José
AU - Tordecilla, Juan
AU - Oyarce, Veronica
AU - Kopp, Katherine
AU - Bartels, Ute
AU - Qaddoumi, Ibrahim
AU - Finlay, Jonathan L.
AU - Cáceres, Adrián
AU - Reyes, Mauricio
AU - Espinoza, Ximena
AU - Osorio, Diana S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - PURPOSE Pediatric neuro-oncology resources are mostly unknown in Chile. We report the human and material resources available in Chilean hospitals providing pediatric neuro-oncology services. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 17 hospitals providing pediatric neuro-oncology services (Programa Infantil Nacional de Drogas Antineoplásicas [PINDA] hospitals, 11; private, 6). RESULTS Response rate was 71% (PINDA, 8; private, 4). Pediatric neuro-oncology services were mainly provided within general hospitals (67%). Registries for pediatric CNS tumors and chemotherapy-related toxicities were available in 100% and 67% of hospitals, respectively. CNS tumors were treated by pediatric oncologists in 92% of hospitals; none were formally trained in neuro-oncology. The most used treatment protocols were the national PINDA protocols. All WHO essential medicines for childhood cancer were available in more than 80% of the hospitals except for gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, and procarbazine. The median number of pediatric neurosurgeons per hospital was two (range, 2-6). General neuroradiologists were available in 83% of the centers. Pathology specimens were sent to neuropathologists (58%), adult pathologists (25%), and pediatric pathologists (17%). Intensity-modulated radiotherapy, conformal radiotherapy, and cobalt radiotherapy were used by 67%, 58%, and 42% of hospitals, respectively. Only one private hospital performed autologous hematopoietic cell transplant for children with CNS tumors. CONCLUSION A wide range of up-to-date treatment modalities are available for children with CNS tumors. Our survey highlights future directions to improve the pediatric neuro-oncology services available in Chile such as the expansion of multidisciplinary clinics, palliative care services, long-term cancer survivorship programs, dedicated clinical research support teams, establishing standardized mechanism for sending pathologic specimen for second opinion to international specialized centers, and establishing specialized neuro-oncology training program.
AB - PURPOSE Pediatric neuro-oncology resources are mostly unknown in Chile. We report the human and material resources available in Chilean hospitals providing pediatric neuro-oncology services. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 17 hospitals providing pediatric neuro-oncology services (Programa Infantil Nacional de Drogas Antineoplásicas [PINDA] hospitals, 11; private, 6). RESULTS Response rate was 71% (PINDA, 8; private, 4). Pediatric neuro-oncology services were mainly provided within general hospitals (67%). Registries for pediatric CNS tumors and chemotherapy-related toxicities were available in 100% and 67% of hospitals, respectively. CNS tumors were treated by pediatric oncologists in 92% of hospitals; none were formally trained in neuro-oncology. The most used treatment protocols were the national PINDA protocols. All WHO essential medicines for childhood cancer were available in more than 80% of the hospitals except for gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, and procarbazine. The median number of pediatric neurosurgeons per hospital was two (range, 2-6). General neuroradiologists were available in 83% of the centers. Pathology specimens were sent to neuropathologists (58%), adult pathologists (25%), and pediatric pathologists (17%). Intensity-modulated radiotherapy, conformal radiotherapy, and cobalt radiotherapy were used by 67%, 58%, and 42% of hospitals, respectively. Only one private hospital performed autologous hematopoietic cell transplant for children with CNS tumors. CONCLUSION A wide range of up-to-date treatment modalities are available for children with CNS tumors. Our survey highlights future directions to improve the pediatric neuro-oncology services available in Chile such as the expansion of multidisciplinary clinics, palliative care services, long-term cancer survivorship programs, dedicated clinical research support teams, establishing standardized mechanism for sending pathologic specimen for second opinion to international specialized centers, and establishing specialized neuro-oncology training program.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85103744160
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85103744160#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1200/GO.20.00430
DO - 10.1200/GO.20.00430
M3 - Article
C2 - 33788596
AN - SCOPUS:85103744160
SN - 2378-9506
VL - 7
SP - 425
EP - 434
JO - Journal of Global Oncology
JF - Journal of Global Oncology
ER -