PediatricsWhen compared with the incidence of adult cancer, childhood cancer is a rare event. Nevertheless, there are approximately 8,500 new cases of cancer in children per year in the United States. It is the second most common cause of death in children between 1-14 years old.[1] The most common malignancies in children are leukemias, cancers of the brain and other nervous system, neuroblastoma, renal tumors, lymphomas, sarcomas, and kidney cancers. Great strides have been made in the treatment of many pediatric malignancies. When one compares the years 1975-1977 and 1996-2003, the five-year survival rate among all children with cancer improved from 58% to 80%.[2, 3]. Caring for a child with cancer requires a dedicated team of physicians working together in a multi-disciplinary fashion. In addition to the radiation oncologist, this team may include pediatric oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, psychologists, and social workers. Our pediatric radiation oncologist is a member Children’s Oncology Group (COG), a worldwide clinical trail cooperative group supported by the National Cancer Institute. As a physician in a COG member institution, latest cancer therapy studies are reviewed in a multi-disciplinary fashion and offered to children as part of a clinical study. Various forms of radiotherapy are offered based on diagnosis. Stereotactic, intensity modulated, and 3-D conformal radiotherapy are all available to offer the best treatment for our children. Most treatment course will range between one treatment to as long as 6 weeks.
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