Texas Children’s Cancer Center now offers families new hope in screening children who are at an elevated risk of developing childhood cancer. A brand new clinic has come to town and the Texas Children's Cancer Center now also offers a Childhood Cancer Prevention and Screening Prevention Clinic.
A part of TCCC Genetics Program, The Childhood Cancer Prevention and Screening Prevention Clinic will help with screening and reassuring families of children with genetic conditions such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome which predispose individuals to childhood cancer, as well as children with other conditions strongly associated with pediatric cancer, such as hemihypertrophy, where one side or part of one side of the body is enlarged.
Dr. Surya Rednam, pediatric oncologist at Texas Children’s Cancer Center and director of the new clinic says, "This new clinic will allow us to centralize the cancer screening services for children who have been diagnosed with a predisposition to cancer through a medical evaluation from a geneticist or another physician experienced with these conditions. Using cancer screening methods based on the latest medical evidence and tailored to the needs of each child, we can identify tumors sooner in these children, allowing for treatments to be implemented earlier, ultimately leading to improved survival rates.” Rednam, is also an instructor in pediatric hematology/oncology at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM).
Early detection is important. It can lead to earlier and less invasive treatment options such as surgery or high dosage radiation treatments. All of these options could also lead to less chronic treatments needed for health related issues.
Those considered at high risk include current pediatric cancer patients with a genetic condition, siblings of pediatric cancer patients and children with other family histories of cancer. Families which fall into one of these categories and are interested in having their child seen by the Cancer Genetics Clinic and the Childhood Cancer Prevention and Screening Clinic are encouraged to visit their pediatrician for a referral.
Redman adds, “Over time, the data collected by centralizing the care of these patients will allow us to better assess the effectiveness of our current screening methods in detecting cancer and improving patient outcomes. Additionally, as new tests and technologies are developed, this clinic will enable us to compare the currently recommended screenings with newer methods so we are constantly striving to ensure that our patients receive the most up-to-date and effective cancer screening services available.”
For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org.
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