Global pediatric cancer surgery: Enhancing quality through standardization

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Pediatric Oncology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Childhood cancer incidence is substantial, with 400,000 new cases annually, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Survival rates for pediatric cancer are starkly disparate: over 80% in high-income countries (HICs) versus less than 30% in LMICs.
• Pediatric cancer surgery is crucial for cure, yet surgical services in many LMICs are underdeveloped and lack standardization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine global barriers to quality pediatric cancer surgery.
• To introduce novel tools for assessing and enhancing surgical capacity in pediatric cancer care.
• To discuss efforts in standardizing training, operative reporting, and guideline development for pediatric cancer surgery.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and data on global childhood cancer burden and surgical care disparities.
• Description of newly developed tools for evaluating pediatric surgical capacity.
• Analysis of ongoing initiatives for standardizing training and clinical guidelines.

Main Results:

• Significant disparities exist in pediatric cancer survival rates between HICs and LMICs, largely attributable to differences in surgical care access and quality.
• Novel assessment tools have been developed to measure and improve surgical capacity for childhood cancer.
• Early efforts show promise in standardizing training and developing evidence-based guidelines for pediatric cancer surgery.

Conclusions:

• Improving pediatric cancer surgery in LMICs is essential to reduce global disparities and improve survival rates.
• Standardization of training, reporting, and guidelines, supported by assessment tools, can advance equitable care.
• These initiatives represent a collective effort to ensure evidence-based, high-quality surgical care for children with cancer worldwide.