Standards for pediatric cancer centers

Since the American Academy of Pediatrics-published guidelines for pediatric cancer centers in 1986, 1997, and 2004, significant changes in the delivery of health care have prompted a review of the role of medical centers in the care of pediatric patients. The potential effect of these changes on the treatment and survival rates of children with cancer led to this revision. The intent of this statement is to delineate personnel, capabilities, and facilities that are essential to provide state-of-the-art care for children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer. This statement emphasizes the importance of board-certified pediatric hematologists/oncologists and appropriately qualified pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists overseeing patient care and the need for specialized facilities as essential for the initial management and much of the follow-up for pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with cancer. For patients without practical access to a pediatric cancer center, care may be provided locally by a primary care physician or adult oncologist but at the direction of a pediatric oncologist.