Comments on: Why Would It Be Important For A 17 Year Old To Be Treated By A Pediatric Oncologist / At A Children’s Hospital?

By: Denisedd

Denisedd — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:35:56 +0000

I’m the one who answered you last night.
The reason this is important is because your body is not often completely matured until you reach 21 or so. This is why your friend was referred to a pediatric oncologist rather than a regular oncologist. Treating cancer patients under 21 is highly specialized and everything in a children’s hospital is designed for treating these patients where regular hospitals are not.
Although, it is rare for children and young adults to get cancer the incidence rates has increased over the years, yet the mortality rates have decreased. Much of the credit goes to treating these patients in these specialized facilities.

By: George

George — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:00:12 +0000

If she does not have health insurance, there might be more options for charity at a children’s hospital

By: Amazing!

Amazing! — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:32:13 +0000

No…her body is not yet fully developed…also it might have something to with the fact that if you are under 18 by law you are not yet considered to be an adult..

By: Tarkarri

Tarkarri — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:01:49 +0000

Panda would have the most info in this area.
Given that cancer is more common as you get older and generally only the more serious cases are hospitalized, the company and surroundings are likely to be more positive in a children’s hospital.
There is also access to things such as tutors to continue your education in a children’s hospital.

By: Panda

Panda — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:03:47 +0000

The main reason that she should be treated by a pediatric oncologist in a children’s hospital is that children, adolescent and young adult cancers are biologically different than adult type cancers. The bodies of the young process cancer totally different and there is even suspicion that there is a difference biologically between young children and teenagers. Many childrens hospitals now also offer the adolescent and young adult oncology specialist . . so even though your friend will go to see a pediatric oncologist at first she may be referred eventually to an oncologist who specializes in treating adolescents and young adults with cancer.
Also, cancer types are often age specific . . it is far more common for young people to get cancers of the blood, lymph nodes, bone, fatty tissue than it is for them to get organ type cancers such as lung, colon, liver, or breast cancers . . the organ type cancers usually affect older adults and are the most talked about on television. Young people get different types of cancer . . and unfortunately although progress has been made in treatment and survival of young children . . older teens and young adults tend to be diagnosed at later stages, have aggressive cancers, and lower survival rates. So if your friend thinks she might have cancer it is absolutely critical to be diagnosed and begin treatment as soon as possible.
Incidentally, because children, teens and young adults have different types of cancers (generally cancers of the primitive cells associated with childhood) they are treated by ’specialists’ familiar with those cancers . . . and they will generally be treated by those specialists indefinitely (as long as they have the disease) . . in most places it has nothing to do with age but the type of cancer you have. Sometimes adults will get a childhood cancer like osteosarcoma or a rare childhood cancer . . when that happens either they will be referred to a pediatric oncologist or their doctor will consult frequently with the pediatric oncologist . . some childrens hospitals are stricter because they are not set up for the physical needs of an adult. My son was 17 at diagnosis and was too tall for the beds . . they had to bring in extensions and often trade out the smaller medical equipment for something that fit him. Sometimes he was treated in the adult ward . . but they are too used to older people and could not meet the needs of a teenager. Thankfully the medical community has caught on to this and the larger hospitals are now offering cancer services for teens and young adults that are geared strictly for them.
The distinctive biology of cancer in adolescents and young adultshttp://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v8/n4/…
MD Anderson Childrens Cancer: Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Programhttp://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-ca…