2024 Volume 61 Issue 3 Pages 234-237
Pediatric cancer is a rare disease with an expected decrease in prevalence due to the declining birth rate. Thus, consolidating medical resources for high-quality medical care is essential. Conversely, discussing the equalization of care based on local medical conditions is equally critical. Several pediatric cancer patients have young parents and siblings, and receiving treatment in distant areas is challenging for economic or emotional reasons. Thus, treatment in the area where they live is strongly desired. Centralizing pediatric oncology care poses concerns of patients being overly concentrated in center hospitals and not being provided with high-level care that is typically offered only at center hospitals. This creates a widened disparity in care between patients due to fewer young doctors becoming specialists as there will be fewer opportunities for pediatric oncology care in the community. Hence, consolidating medical resources to strengthen cooperation between centers and partner hospitals is vital. Focusing medical resources on online information exchange, central pathology, diagnostic imaging, and long-term follow-up system establishment using telemedicine will protect regional hospitals. It will thereby holistically improve and maintain the level of pediatric oncology care in Japan.
