Establishing Pediatric Cancer Care System... Developing Hub Hospitals in 5 Regions Nationwide

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 20th that it will foster pediatric cancer base hospitals in five regions nationwide, excluding Seoul. This is to establish a pediatric cancer treatment system. The base hospitals are Chungnam National University Hospital in the Chungnam region (Daejeon, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Sejong), Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital in the Honam region (Gwangju, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju), Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital in the Gyeongbuk region (Daegu, Gyeongbuk), Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital in the Gyeongnam region (Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam), and the National Cancer Center in the Gyeonggi region (Gyeonggi, Gangwon). Base hospitals are public medical institutions designated by the government that have pediatric hematology-oncology specialists and are capable of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Formation of Dedicated Pediatric Cancer Teams within Hospitals

Base hospitals will newly hire 2 to 3 contract physicians (contract doctors) centered around pediatric hematology-oncology specialists. Additionally, specialists from other hospitals will also participate in treatment, utilizing regional medical resources to form and operate dedicated pediatric cancer teams.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, and Chungnam National University Hospital collaborate with pediatric hematology-oncology specialists, inpatient attending physicians, contract physicians, and pediatric specialists from other departments. These hospitals will hire residents finishing their training by the end of this year as contract physicians and integrate currently working inpatient attending physicians into the dedicated treatment teams. By reinforcing professional staff, pediatric hematology-oncology specialists will focus on outpatient care and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Furthermore, newly recruited personnel will be assigned to wards, intensive care units, and emergency rooms to provide stable medical services to pediatric cancer patients.

Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital reflects the characteristics of a region with many university hospitals. Pediatric hematology-oncology specialists affiliated with university hospitals and specialists with pediatric cancer treatment experience working in local clinics and hospitals will participate in the base hospital’s treatment. The hospital plans to form a treatment team with pediatric hematology-oncology subspecialists to prevent regional patients from leaving for the metropolitan area and to provide stable medical services.

The Gangwon region is a vulnerable area lacking subspecialists for pediatric cancer treatment. Pediatric cancer specialists from the National Cancer Center will regularly visit university hospitals in Gangwon to support outpatient pediatric cancer care. University hospitals in Gangwon will establish systems to support follow-up care and subsequent treatment for pediatric cancer patients treated in other regions.

Situations where treatment is difficult at regional base hospitals may also occur. The government will establish a linkage system allowing patients to receive treatment at metropolitan hospitals equipped with surgical teams or the National Cancer Center, which has a proton therapy device, and then be transferred back to regional base hospitals for follow-up care.

1,300 Pediatric Cancer Patients Annually, High Proportion of Hematologic Cancers

There are 1,300 pediatric cancer patients annually. Hematologic cancers such as leukemia account for a high proportion (41%). The 5-year relative survival rate for pediatric cancer (the probability that cancer patients survive for five years compared to the general population) is 86.3%, higher than that of all cancers (71.5%). Pediatric cancer patients can grow into normal adults with appropriate treatment. However, there is a severe shortage of specialized personnel in the pediatric cancer field. Pediatric cancer treatment is a labor-intensive field with treatment intensity three times higher than adult cancers due to the complexity of treatment methods depending on patient compliance, age, and physical condition. There are only 69 subspecialists (pediatric hematology-oncology specialists) nationwide who have completed training for pediatric cancer treatment. The pediatric residency recruitment rate dropped from 68.2% in 2020 to 27.5% last year. This is the background for the government’s initiative to foster local pediatric cancer base hospitals.

The government is expanding support measures for pediatric cancer patients. Pediatric cancer patients under 18 years old receive treatment cost support up to 30 million KRW annually. Specialized palliative care teams (including doctors, hospice nurses, social workers, etc.) provide services such as physical and mental care for severely ill pediatric patients.

Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "Pediatric cancer is an essential medical field where appropriate supply is not achieved due to population decline. Considering that intensive treatment is required for 1 to 2 years after diagnosis, we will support the stable establishment of a treatment system so that patients and their families do not experience inconvenience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.