The COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid global response for children with cancer from SIOP, COG, SIOP-E, SIOP-PODC, IPSO, PROS, CCI, and St Jude Global
Humans; Child; pediatrics; childhood cancer; Pediatrics; Disease Management; Medical Oncology; Consensus; Societies; Medical; retinoblastoma; acute lymphoblastic leukemia; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Betacoronavirus; Pandemics; Pneumonia; Burkitt lymphoma; Coronavirus Infections/*epidemiology; Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis/*therapy; Viral/*epidemiology; Hodgkin lymphoma; low-grade glioma; nephroblastoma; WHO Global Initiative on Childhood Cancer; Wilms tumor
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most serious global challenges to delivering affordable and equitable treatment to children with cancer we have witnessed in the last few decades. This Special Report aims to summarize general principles for continuing multidisciplinary care during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. With contributions from the leadership of the International Society for Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), Children's Oncology Group (COG), St Jude Global program, and Childhood Cancer International, we have sought to provide a framework for healthcare teams caring for children with cancer during the pandemic. We anticipate the burden will fall particularly heavily on children, their families, and cancer services in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we have brought together the relevant clinical leads from SIOP Europe, COG, and SIOP-PODC (Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries) to focus on the six most curable cancers that are part of the WHO Global Initiative in Childhood Cancer. We provide some practical advice for adapting diagnostic and treatment protocols for children with cancer during the pandemic, the measures taken to contain it (e.g., extreme social distancing), and how to prepare for the anticipated recovery period.
Sullivan M; Bouffet E; Rodriguez-Galindo C; Luna-Fineman S; Khan M S; Kearns P; Hawkins D S; Challinor J; Morrissey L; Fuchs J; Marcus K; Balduzzi A; Basset-Salom L; Caniza M; Baker J N; Kebudi R; Hessissen L; Sullivan R; Pritchard-Jones K
Pediatric Blood and Cancer
2020
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.28409" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/pbc.28409</a>
Pediatric Oncology Clinical Trials and Collaborative Research in Africa: Current Landscape and Future Perspectives
pediatrics; cancer; oncology; Africa; clinical trials; collaborative research
PURPOSE: Adequate clinical services have yet to be established in the majority of African countries, where childhood cancer survival rates vary from 8.1% to 30.3%. The aim of this review is to describe the landscape of pediatric oncology trials in Africa, identify challenges, and offer future opportunities for research collaborations. METHOD(S): The study includes data from the International Pediatric Oncology Society (SIOP) global mapping survey, meta-research identifying trials in Africa in ClinicalTrials.gov, and a literature overview of publications on the subject of pediatric oncology clinical research supported by expert opinions on the current situation and challenges. RESULT(S): The SIOP global mapping survey received responses from 47 of 54 African countries, of which 23 have active clinical research programs. A preliminary search of ClinicalTrials.gov showed that only 105 (12.1%) of 868 African oncology studies included children and adolescents. Of these, 53 (50.5%) were interventional trials according to the registry's classification. The small number of African trials for children and adolescents included palliative care and leukemia trials. In African oncology journals and international pediatric oncology journals, < 1% of the pediatric oncology publications come from Africa. Services and research were strengthened by international collaboration. National studies focused on clinical needs, local challenges, or interventional priorities. Both the literature review and the expert opinions highlight the need to expand clinical research in Africa, despite ongoing regional instability and lack of resources. CONCLUSION(S): While a low number of pediatric clinical treatment trials are open to African children and adolescents, clinical research of high quality is being done in Africa. Several initiatives are stimulating the development of the research capacity across the continent, which should increase the publication output.
van Heerden J; Zaghloul M; Neven A; de Rojas T; Geel J; Patte C; Balagadde-Kambugu J; Hesseling P; Tchintseme F; Bouffet E; Hessissen L
JCO Global Oncology
2020
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1200/go.20.00159" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1200/go.20.00159</a>