Caring for Children with Cancer in the Bronx

By Dr. Moriah Rabin, Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Cellular Therapy, Children's Hospital at Montefiore / Albert Einstein College of Medicine

 

BRONX- September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and it is during this time that we raise awareness about childhood cancer, research and treatments. 

Each year in the United States, about 15,000 children receive a new cancer diagnosis, and approximately 40,000 children are currently receiving treatment for cancer. Common pediatric cancers include leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, sarcoma, neuroblastoma, and Wilms tumors. It is important to remember that childhood cancer is quite rare, but it remains the leading cause of death from disease in children.

 

At the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) we are privileged to serve the Bronx community and to support patients and their families through an incredibly difficult period of their lives. We offer treatments based on the most advanced scientific discoveries in state-of-the-art facilities delivered by an incredible team of dedicated staff.

 

Cancer treatment can be painful and prolonged for patients and their families. Every day can feel like an uphill battle. At CHAM, we recognize the tremendous physical, emotional, mental, and financial tolls that cancer treatment can have. Our holistic approach to cancer care aims to support patients and families in each of these domains. We work in teams that include oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, psychologists, and child life therapists to provide tailored support to each patient and family. We also offer complimentary therapies including yoga, art, music, massage, acupuncture, and aromatherapy. Our Quality in Life Team provides additional personalized support during especially hard periods. Our goal is to create a safe, warm, and friendly environment and to remain consistently available and aware of our patients’ needs.

 

Cancer treatment has advanced significantly in recent decades thanks to remarkable research efforts. Survival rates for children with cancer have drastically improved over the last 50 years, and nearly 85% of children diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20 will survive at least 5 years after diagnosis. At CHAM, we are members of national groups that enable us to offer participation in clinical trials to all eligible patients, providing them with the most up to date treatment options. Some of these novel treatment approaches include the use of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T-cells) for patients with relapsed leukemia/lymphoma, and bone marrow transplantation using unrelated, half-matched, or cord blood donors for patients with certain cancers, genetic conditions, or sickle cell disease. 

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, CHAM’s affiliate medical school, is the site of nationally and internationally funded research aiming to find a cure for these devastating diseases. Unfortunately, many children with cancer still do not survive. These children fuel our research efforts to find new approaches to achieve a cure, so that more children can live the long and healthy lives they deserve.

 

When survivors are done with their cancer-directed treatment, we are not done taking care of them. There are around 400,000 survivors of pediatric cancer, and about 60% of those survivors suffer late effects of treatment that adversely affect their adult lives, including heart failure, neuropsychiatric struggles, infertility, or even secondary cancers. Long after cancer therapy is completed, it is important to continue to monitor for these late effects and do our best to minimize them. 

Our Reassessment and Evaluation After Cancer Treatment (REACT) clinic is a special program aimed at enhancing quality of life of cancer survivors. The REACT clinic provides outstanding medical and psychological education, screening, and treatment through long term follow up with our patients. Our goal is to help our community of childhood cancer survivors to reintegrate into society and go on to live successful and fulfilling lives.

 

Diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer forever changes the lives of patients, their families, and friends. If you know someone with childhood cancer, please make your best effort to support them and their family. If you would like to support children with cancer, you can contact CHAM to receive additional information on volunteering, supporting research efforts, or donating to those children in need. At CHAM, it is our mission to educate the larger Bronx community about the impact of childhood cancer and most importantly, to provide the best care possible for our patients.