Hope for families facing childhood cancers
This year, close to 16,000 families [jM1] in the U.S. will learn their child has cancer. “About 1 in 285[jM2] children receive a cancer diagnosis before their 20th birthday,” says John A. van Doorninck[jM3] , MD, a pediatric hematologist oncologist at HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's. The average age at the time of diagnosis is 8, with leukemia the most common cancer.
While a childhood cancer diagnosis is life-changing, Dr. van Doorninck says families have much reason to hope. “We’ve made incredible advancements in cancer treatments over the last several decades,” he says. “We now have immunotherapy drugs that can find and kill cancer cells, as well as medications that target gene changes in cancerous tumors. Many childhood cancers, such as leukemia, can be cured.”
Every year, hundreds of families are seen at HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's for oncology care, including the latest pediatric cancer treatments and access to clinical trials and research. Families receive ongoing support from a team of social workers who help with mental health resources, financial counseling and schooling. Child life specialists help children understand their diagnosis and make medical procedures less frightening. “Posey, our pet therapy dog, is also a huge hit,” says Dr. van Doorninck.
In addition to the main hospital in Denver, HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's cancer specialists provide care at satellite clinics in Casper, Wyoming, and Lone Tree and Loveland, Colorado. Their pediatric cancer care also extends globally. Dr. van Doorninck serves as chair of the Global Programs Committee for World Child Cancer, a nonprofit organization that provides cancer care to children living in countries with limited medical resources. The program also trains healthcare workers there.
“In the United States and other high-income countries, the aggregate survival rate for pediatric cancers is approximately 80%. Unfortunately, that number is reversed for children in low-resource areas where the average cure rate is only 20%,” says Dr. van Doorninck. “Any child dying from cancer is unacceptable. At HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's, we’re working to improve outcomes for children across the globe.”
[jM1]https://www.acco.org/us-childhood-cancer-statistics/
[jM2]https://www.acco.org/us-childhood-cancer-statistics/
[jM3]https://rockymountainhospitalforchildren.com/physicians/profile/Dr-John-A-van-Doorninck-MD