Valeria Santiago Villanueva - Pediatric oncology

 Pediatric Oncology is a specialty dedicated to diagnosing and treating cancer in children and teens. A pediatric oncologist is a doctor who specializes in both pediatrics and oncology. These doctors work with all specialists to provide care for a child’s treatment journey and post-treatment. This can include: nurses, psychologists, surgeons, therapists, and social workers to provide the best care for not only the child but the entire family. 

Pediatric oncologists usually treat leukemia, brain tumors, lymphomas, and bone cancers. In contrast to adults, children generally show a more favorable outcome during cancer treatment. One of the main reasons for this outcome is that adults commonly have other health conditions or complications that may delay the effect of the treatment, while children don’t. This means that children's bodies tolerate stronger treatments than adults. A treatment that generally leads to better results in children is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the use of strong drugs to kill the growth of cancer cells. 

Pediatric oncologists play an enormous role in children’s lives due to cancer being the leading cause of disease-related deaths in children around the world, specifically those ages 1-14 years old. But the chances of survival rely on the country the child lives in. It is seen that children who live in high-income countries have an 80% survival rate. In contrast, children who reside in low-income countries have less than a 30% chance of surviving. This is due to the lack of access to hospitals, late diagnosis, inaccurate diagnosis, and side effects of treatment. Overall, pediatric oncology is not just about treating cancer but about restoring hope and fighting for the child’s life. 

Childhood Cancer Treatment | St. Jude Care & TreatmentWHO and St. Jude form $200M collaboration to increase global access to childhood cancer medicines - The Cancer Letter

Meet the author:

Hi! My name is Valeria, and I’m going to be a Junior in the fall. I hope to pursue a career in oncology, specifically in pediatric oncology. A few of my hobbies include running, reading, baking, and playing the piano. Outside of school, I volunteer at my local hospital and am currently doing research over the summer. 

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