Child cancer care is coordinated across New Zealand so that all children get the best available treatment wherever they live.
How common is childhood cancer?
- in New Zealand, about 150 children (birth to 14 years) are diagnosed with cancer each year
- childhood cancer is rare - of all the newly diagnosed New Zealanders with cancer, 1 percent are children
- more than 80 percent of patients diagnosed with a childhood cancer are cured as the result of treatment
- an estimated 1 in 900 people aged between 16 and 34 years are childhood cancer survivors
How are children's cancer services organised?
Child cancer care is coordinated across New Zealand. That means all children get the best available treatment wherever they live.
'Shared care' model to deliver care as close to home as possible
The services use a 'shared care' model for children from centres outside Auckland and Christchurch. The tertiary treatment centres of Auckland and Christchurch partner with the local paediatric team so that as much of the treatment as safely possible can be given close to home. In other words, your child may be referred for treatment, at times, to a main centre hospital, then return for treatment to your local hospital. The aim of 'shared care' is to deliver safe, effective and appropriate care by using the paediatric service closest to the family home, as often as is practicable, in order to get the best results for your child.
International collaboration to share results and information, and continually improve treatment
- information and expertise is continually updated
- knowledge remains current and available to all the health professionals involved in the management of childhood cancer across New Zealand
- New Zealand's children's cancer services direct the use, in New Zealand, of internationally proven treatment protocols and this includes all currently useful cancer medications
Click Donate to fund the ongoing development of the Circulating Tumor DNA project which will improve outcomes for those children already diagnosed with cancer.
Disclaimer - Content on this blog is for educational use only. Please consult your doctor or other health professional to make sure the information is right for your child.
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