title: Barriers to cure for children with cancer in India and strategies to improve outcomes: a report by the Indian Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group.
abstract: The survival of children with cancer in India is inferior to that of children in high-income countries. The Indian Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group (IPHOG) held a series of online meetings via www.Cure4kids.org to identify barriers to cure and develop strategies to improve outcomes. Five major hurdles were identified: delayed diagnosis, abandonment, sepsis, lack of co-operative groups, and relapse. Development of regional networks like IPHOG has allowed rapid identification of local causes of treatment failure for children with cancer in India and identification of strategies likely to improve care and outcomes in the participating centers. Next steps will include interventions to raise community awareness of childhood cancer, promote early diagnosis and referral, and reduce abandonment and toxic death at each center. Starting of fellowship programs in pediatric hemato-oncology, short training programs for pediatricians, publishing outcome data, formation of parent and patient support groups, choosing the right and effective treatment protocol, and setting up of bone marrow transplant services are some of the effective steps taken in the last decade, which needs to be supported further.
authors.affiliation: 1Pediatric Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, India.
authors.forename: Satya Prakash
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rastogi
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kharya
authors.forename: Ruchira
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramzan
authors.forename: Satyendra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katewa
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dua
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: Stewart J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kellie
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D019468:Disease Management; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D028761:Withholding Treatment