Bhubaneswar: AIIMS Bhubaneswar is going to start Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HPSCT) in the Medical Oncology/Hematology department for needy children suffering from cancer.
Speaking at a special function organised to create awareness about childhood cancer, AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director Dr. Ashutosh Biswas said, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has been rendering holistic, quality and affordable care to children with cancer through a multidisciplinary approach.AIIMS Bhubaneswar not only caters to Odisha but also pediatric patients from nearby states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
The outcome in pediatric cancers has changed from seemingly incurable diseases to survival exceeding 80-90 per cent in the last 50 years, said Dr. Sonali Mohapatra, Addl. Prof. Dept. of Medical Oncology/Hematology AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
In the current era, more than 75-80 per cent of childhood cancer patients can be cured completely, with survival exceeding 90 per cent in certain cancers like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (blood cancer), lymphomas and renal tumours, informed Dr. Mohapatra.
The department has registered more than 1,200 children with cancer and currently treats around 250-300 new patients per year, Dr. Biswas said. To increase awareness on various aspects of childhood cancer, the department Saturday organised a series of programmes like walkathon, patient/parent and doctor interaction.
However, pediatric oncology in India is still a work in progress. The outcomes in the Indian subcontinent often lag behind the Western counterparts due to Various factors like delayed diagnosis, delayed referral, treatment abandonment and poor socioeconomic and educational conditions that contribute to suboptimal outcomes, Mohapatra added.
Thus, an integrated, multidisciplinary and holistic approach is the need of the hour to overcome these obstacles.
In collaboration with various government and non-government organizations (NGOs), the national institute also provides social/financial support and shelter homes to poor and needy children to enable them to complete therapy, Mohapatra added.
Notably, September is observed as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month worldwide, and the Golden Ribbon is the dedicated logo associated with it.
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