Pediatric Oncology Hematology Network

To reduce the burden of cancer and blood disorders in children and adolescents living in BC.

• Ensure all children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders have access to state-of-the-art comprehensive, interdisciplinary care, achieved through appropriate diagnosis, management, follow-up and end-of-life care
• Make a significant contribution to the global care of children with cancer or blood disorders and blood and marrow transplant
• Enhance the quality of life for children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders and their families
• Develop a partnership with other health-care facilities to enable integrated care to children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders and their families throughout the province
• Support community hospitals and practitioners to enable them to provide care for chemotherapy treatment and its complications, palliative and end-of-life care, and long term follow-up
• Further develop and enhance the world-class programs of basic, translational and clinical research
• Participate in clinical trials as the standard of care for children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders and further the research and education mandate
• Provide an outstanding educational program for health-care professionals
• Develop and implement a comprehensive cancer control strategy

Aim: To obtain recognition that the network is the official advisor to the regional health authorities and the Ministry of Health on matters pertaining to pediatric cancer and allied hematological conditions.

Aim: To address the need for comprehensive long term follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancer.

Actions: The unique issues associated with survivors of childhood cancer require special attention. In partnership with BC Cancer, a Late Effects, Assessment & Follow-Up (LEAF) Clinic was established in July 2016 for adults who have survived childhood cancer. Please visit the LEAF clinic web page for further information. For guidelines developed by BC Children's Hospital, please see our long-term follow-up guidelines on the Oncology Clinical Resources page.

Aim: To support community hospitals and practitioners and develop a partnership with other health care facilities, to enable integrated care to children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders and their families throughout the province.

Actions:

• Education & communication: The network provides education opportunities for physicians and other health care professionals at the BC Cancer regional conferences, educational workshops at BC Children's Hospital and at various regional centres
• If there is an interest for such learning opportunities in your area, please contact Nicole Coolman at nicole.coolman@cw.bc.ca
• Competency Standards for Safely Administering Hazardous Drugs including Chemotherapy and Biotherapy in a Community Setting (PDF) (August 2024)  
• Family Practice Oncology Network GPO Training Program at BC Cancer
   

Psychosocial care: The network has activated a psychosocial working group to identify existing resources for children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders and their families in the local communities and to address the gaps in service.

Palliative care: The palliation and end-of-life care working group assesses care needs in communities, identifies educational needs for professionals, addresses resource allocation, and identifies areas of research. 

Aim: To develop and implement a comprehensive cancer control strategy for children and adolescents as part of the BC Cancer cancer control strategy.

Actions:

• Continue enhancement of the Pediatric Cancer Registry
• Obtain a comprehensive database for management, data collection, historical and projected analysis
• Reactivate pediatric tumour group

Aim: To further develop and enhance world-class basic, translational and clinical research programs that make a significant contribution to the global care of children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders.

Actions: Participation in clinical trials will continue to be a high priority. The network will, in particular, seek to collaborate clinical and outcome research at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Cancer in adolescents to young adults (AYA) to improve treatment outcomes.

• Childhood Cancer & Blood Research Group: Clinicians and scientists work together to conduct research that improves the lives of children and young adults with cancer and/or blood disorders, and those undergoing transplantation.
• Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program (MCCCRP)