Guidelines for the Pediatric Cancer Center and Role of Such Centers in Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

The intent of this statement is to delineate those personnel and facilities that are essential to provide state-of-the-art care for children and adolescents with cancer. This statement emphasizes the importance of a board-eligible or board-certified pediatric hematologist-oncologist and pediatric subspecialty consultants overseeing the care of all pediatric and adolescent cancer patients, and the need for facilities available only at a tertiary center as essential for the initial management and much of the follow-up for pediatric and adolescent cancer patients. In 1986, the Section on Oncology/Hematology of the American Adacemy of Pediatrics outlined the “Guidelines for the Pediatric Cancer Center and Role of Such Centers in Diagnosis and Treatment.” Since that statement was published, significant changes in medical care reimbursement have prompted a review of the role of tertiary medical centers in the care of pediatric patients. The potential impact of these developments on the treatment of children with cancer led to a revision of the previous statement with the goal of delineating those elements that are necessary to ensure that current childhood cancer survival rates are not adversely impacted by requirements for care to be given at sites lacking essential personnel or equipment.