ISSUES OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, DIAGNOSTICS AND ORGANIZATION OF ONCOLOGICAL SERVICE IN CHILDREN: LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction. In childhood, malignant neoplasms are quite rare, which leads to insufficient alertness of doctors in terms
of their early diagnosis. This is especially true for general practitioners, since they rarely see such patients. It is known that
up to 75% of children are admitted to cancer centers for treatment at stages III-IV of the disease, while approximately 80% of
childhood cancers can be successfully diagnosed and treated using advanced therapies and supportive care. The
application of the latest technologies has led to improved treatment rates and dramatically increased cure rates for childhood
cancer in recent years, but not all children with cancer diagnoses have been able to really benefit from these advances.
The aim of this study is to analyze the literature on the organization of pediatric oncology services.
Search strategy. We conducted a literature search in the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase. A
combination of key words and terms of medical subject headings (MeSH) related to the topic under study is compiled. Тaking
into account the period of existence of pediatric oncology in Kazakhstan, we used literature data for the last 30 years. The
search revealed 939 publications. The current review includes 80 publications.
Results. This review includes an analysis of publications on the organization of oncological services in children with
malignant neoplasms. The achievements of recent years in the diagnosis of cancer in children, the organization of a system
of care for this category of patients, general recommendations for medical staff who diagnose, treat and care for this
category of patients are presented.
Conclusion. Malignant tumors are one of the leading causes of death in children and adolescents worldwide, and are
diagnosed annually in approximately 300,000 children from birth to 19 years of age. Neoplastic processes in childhood,
which occur in children and adolescents aged 0–19 years, are divided into different types, depending on the cellular
composition and location of the tumor. Epidemiology in pediatric oncology has its own characteristics. In contrast to the
epidemiology of oncological diseases in adults, the occurrence of a tumor is less related to geographical and other
environmental factors.