Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer of the blood, are more likely to be cured if they are treated in a pediatric cancer center than in an adult center.
A new study published in Blood Advances, a journal of the American Society of Hematology, demonstrates how adolescents or young adults (AYAs) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are best managed in pediatric centers.
This is explained by the fact that this disease is mainly a disease of the child. Therapeutic protocols are therefore more suitable in pediatrics.
More chances of recovery
To perform this study, the researchers looked at cancer data from the state of California, United States, between 2004 and 2014. They identified 1,473 patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia between the ages of 15 and 39 years old.
These patients were divided according to the care center in which they were taken care of. An adult center or a pediatric center.
According to the results, patients treated in a pediatric center had a higher survival rate than those treated in an adult center. The care was also better for those who were in a center affiliated with the National Cancer Institute.
Pediatric centers are more suitable
“Physicians and treatment teams in pediatric settings may be more experienced in the management of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adolescents and young adults, which may explain why there are better results at these centers,” explains Lori Muffy, researcher in the department of medicine at Stanford University.
Doctors are more experienced there simply because this disease occurs mainly in children. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in children. This cancer also affects boys more than girls. Conversely, it is the least common type of leukemia in adults.
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