This special edition of The Ochsner Journal emphasizes pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in children between 1 and 15 years of age. The remarkable improvement in survival rates, from 20% in the 1950s to close to 90% in 2010, in acute lymphoblastic leukemia is attributed to advances in diagnosis, therapy, and comprehensive care plans and protocols developed by the Children's Oncology Group and other national and international collaborative groups. A diverse multidisciplinary team of oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, nurses, psychologists, basic scientists, and others all work together to develop total care plans that are adapted and followed across the country by specially approved programs. More than 90% of children are in clinical trials compared to just 10% of adults.
We have a wide array of articles, including a report of a newborn with intracranial bleeding, an update on the management of immune thrombocytopenic purpura, a discussion of the treatment of infections and immunizations in children undergoing chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and a paper on the perplexing issue of the ethical aspects of obtaining consent from children.
Why should an adult doctor be interested in pediatric cancer and blood disorders? For the simple reason that many children—such as the ones in the accompanying photos—with diseases like cancer, sickle cell disease, and hemophilia, are now surviving to adulthood and longer. Doctors of all specialties will have to follow them in the future.
An unusual case of brain tumor, a review of myelodysplastic syndromes, and a clinical study of chemotherapy's ototoxicity should also make interesting reading for an array of specialists. The psychological effects of cancer on children, families, and caregivers are described in a review by Dr Marcus. Dr Rau and colleagues have evaluated the effect of nutritional status on children with hematological malignancies and its subsequent impact on tolerance of chemotherapy.
The editorial board is also proud to introduce an exciting new feature called “Advancing Evidence-Based Practice” by Dr Basu Ray. This innovative addition to the journal will provide selected research updates considered likely to change clinical practice. We have also published the abstracts from the annual Ochsner Research Day event, during which faculty, researchers, and students presented their clinical and translational research work.
We are thankful to our contributors, reviewers, and editorial and publishing teams and hope that you enjoy this and future editions. My special thanks to Dr Beck and the editorial board for allowing us to highlight this field. Dr Beck and the editorial board look forward to your article submissions for publication and encourage colleagues interested in serving as reviewers to kindly contact the editorial office.
- Academic Division of Ochsner Clinic Foundation
