Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Attendance to follow-up after completion of cancer treatment is understudied area. Pediatric cancer patients have sequelae of illness or treatment. Many have no symptom immediately after completion of treatment. Long term follow-up is important to access disease control, early diagnosis of recurrence, second cancer and treatment-related morbidities. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the compliance to follow-up in pediatric patients treated with craniospinal irradiation (CSI).
METHODS
This was retrospective review of follow-up in pediatric neuro-oncology patients who received (CSI) from January 2017 to June 2018 in the Radiotherapy Department of Yangon General Hospital, Myanmar. RESULT: Twenty-three patients received CSI; majority (43%) were medulloblastoma. Median age was 7.5 years (3–17 years). Only seven patients (30.4%) were attended to follow-up more than 6 months after completion of treatment. More than two-thirds of patients (n=16,69.6%) were lost to follow-up. Patients in active follow-up were diagnosed and treated at earlier age below 10years (n=5,21.7%). Demographically, 5 patients (22%) were living in the region around tertiary hospital. Sixteen patients (69.6%) from rural area had limited transportation and difficulty for accommodation in which they were treated. In socioeconomic points, 18 parents (78.2%) had poor education and financial status, lack of understanding about disease, treatment, long-term effects and follow-up.
CONCLUSION
Although this was limited data in CSI patients only, loss to follow-up after 6 months was high. We need to evaluate in all pediatric cancer patients and collaborate to provide financial support, childcare centres for lodging, transportation and health education to promote compliance to follow-up.
Intestinal Colonization and Nosocomial Spread of Clostridium difficile in Pediatric Cancer Patients Under Long-term Hospitalization
