Badem Pediatrics Oncology Center

Cancer is not just an adult disease, it is also seen in children aged 0 to 18 years. Childhood cancers differ from adults in terms of pathogenesis, progress of illness and treatment. This disease, which anyone, in fact, fails to fit it for children, can be detected early thanks to developing technology and science. With suitable treatment and invention methods, the incidence of death in childhood cancers are gradually decreasing.

According to the data of the World Health Organization, approximately 300.000 children between the ages of 0-19 are diagnosed with cancer every year and an average of 80.000 children die due to cancer. Studies show that the incidence of childhood cancers is increasing every year. While the incidence of childhood cancer is increasing all over the world, the overall survival rate has reached up to 90% today.

July: Bone Cancer and Sarcoma Awareness Month

July is recognized as Bone Cancer and Sarcoma Awareness Month, dedicated to raising awareness about these rare and challenging forms of cancer in children.

BADEM Oncology Children Center, a distinguished part of Acıbadem Maslak Hospital in Istanbul, is a premier facility dedicated to the comprehensive care and treatment of pediatric cancer patients. Known for its cutting-edge technology, compassionate care, and multidisciplinary approach, the center stands at the forefront of pediatric oncology in Turkiye and the region. 

Under the lead of Professor Funda Çorapçıoğlu, BADEM Oncology Children Center is committed to providing exceptional care for children with cancer and ensures that every child receives the best possible care tailored to their specific needs.

Acıbadem Health Group Pediatric Oncologist Professor Funda Çorapçıoğlu, who has valuable studies on childhood cancers and has been treating children for years, has stated that childhood cancers are much more different from adult cancers in terms of incidence and symptoms. Moreover, Çorapçıoğlu added that progress of childhood cancer can be more complicated than adults’ and the treatment and follow-up of children can take a long time. At this point, Acıbadem Healthcare Group in Turkiye provides all kinds of support to make the clinics of children with cancer more comfortable so that the children feel like themselves as at their own home. A pediatric clinic called “Badem” was established inside Acıbadem Maslak Hospital in Istanbul, where only children with cancer are treated. Children consider this place for treatment as their own home during the healing process and follow-up. Thus, kids can successfully complete their treatment in an environment where they can say “This is my place”.

Sarcoma is the name given to cancers that develop in soft tissues such as muscles, connective tissue, nerves and adipose tissue. It is common in childhood. Pediatric Oncology Specialist Professor Funda Çorapçıoğlu says that infantile fibrosarcoma is the most common soft tissue cancer under 1 year old, and rhabdomyosarcoma is most common in children over 1 year old. She adds that these cancers, the cause of which is unknown, may be caused by genetic changes.

When Dimana was only six months old, a swelling was detected in her palm in Bulgaria, which was later diagnosed as “sarcoma.” Despite treatments in her country, the swelling continued to grow. Pediatric Oncology Specialist Funda Çorapçıoğlu explained that such rapid growth is typical in infantile fibrosarcoma due to fast cell division. By the time she sought help from Acıbadem Healthcare Group, the tumor had grown so large that it caused compartment syndrome, severely affecting her hand’s nerves and vessels, leading to bruising and numbness.

Dimana was then evaluated by the experienced team at BADEM Pediatrics Oncology Center. Chemotherapy was administered to shrink the tumor, preventing further damage and allowing for surgical removal. The tumor was completely removed by a specialized orthopedist, and chemotherapy continued post-surgery to minimize recurrence risk. Dimana has recovered well and continues her follow-ups. Professor Çorapçıoğlu highlighted the importance of the first five years of follow-up for her type of cancer and noted that chemotherapy was crucial in ensuring the tumor did not spread further.

New drugs and new treatments have emerged in recent years. The aim of these treatments is to reduce the side effects of classical chemotherapy by targeting the tumor tissue as much as possible. However, none of these are miracles on their own. In addition, these new treatments may not be applicable to all tumors. Before starting treatment, it should be determined whether the tumor will be eliminated with the help of drugs or not.

Immunotherapy, one of the newly developed treatment methods, is a type of treatment that allows the immune system to fight cancer cells. There are many different types such as T cell transfer, Monoclonal Antibody, oncolytic viruses etc. The Pediatric Oncologist decides which type of immunotherapy will be applied to which tumor.

The drugs used in classical chemotherapy can be given to the body up to a certain dose. When these doses are exceeded, the body is not able to stand it. Thanks to stem cell transplantation, it is possible to give high-dose chemotherapy. The success rate of this treatment varies according to the type and stage of the disease, the characteristics of the stem cell donor and the type of transplantation.

Targeted therapies, also known as smart molecules, which are important in cancer treatment, also have an important place in the treatment of childhood cancers. The drugs used for this treatment are specially prepared in the laboratory by detecting the characteristics of the tumor cell. When given to the body, they go and find the tumor tissue. Then, they either destroy this tissue directly, or they surround that tissue and call other cancer-fighting inflammatory cells, enabling these warrior cells to fight the tumor.

Çorapçıoğlu stated that the tumor must be defined before application of treatment. She clarified that for this, advanced techniques should be studied in a comprehensive laboratory. “It is necessary to find the passport number of the tumor. We need to detect this and send medicine accordingly. In this way, healthy cells live, but only cancerous cells die. We are doing very good work on these treatments,” she said.

Success in childhood cancers has increased considerably in recent years. Thanks to the developing technology, the tumor can now be better differentiated from the normal tissue. The use of drugs that are effective only on tumor tissue and eliminates side effects. At the same time, it provides a complete treatment by destroying the target tumor tissue.

Professor Funda Çorapçıoğlu does not relate the success in the treatment of childhood cancers as with simply eliminating the disease. She states that success should be measured by reintegrating these children into society as individuals when their treatment is over. Therefore, it should be ensured that the preferred treatment for pediatric patients is chosen in a way that will cause the least harm to them both physically and mentally in the future.

As Acıbadem Healthcare Group, we aim not only to eradicate the disease in childhood cancers, but also to treat our patients in a way that they can live more comfortably for the rest of their lives. What makes us happy is to make them feel at home during the long and difficult process and to see the clinics where they are treated as their own place and to make them say “this is my place” instead of “hospital”.