ONCOLOGY DEPARTMENT PANAGIOΤIS&AGLAIA KYRIAKOU CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

“Panagiotis. & Aglaia Kyriakou” Children’s hospital Oncology Department (OTAK) was established on 21st October 1979. It was the first organized Oncology Department for children in Greece aiming at the best care for children with cancer. OTAK provides full medical care to children and adolescents with cancer. In collaboration with all Hospital Departments deals with the diagnostic investigation procedures of children. Diseases such as Leukemias, Lymphomas, Soft tissue and Bone Sarcomas, Brain tumors, Liver tumors, Renal tumors, Retinoblastoma, Histiocytosis, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Cancer Predisposition Syndromes (NF1 neurofibromatosis, Li Fraumeni syndrome etc) and other rare tumors are treated according to the most up-to-date cooperative European and international treatment protocols. OTAK participates in numerous international collaborative research protocols and several clinical trials while staff members coordinate therapeutic protocols and groups at a national level. The department includes specialized pediatrician-oncologists, experienced nursing staff, clinical psychologist, social workers and secretaries. OTAK Physicians and nurses have long experience in pediatric oncology also having postgraduate titles including PhD ones. Staff members participate in numerous postgraduate and PhD projects and training programs & conferences as well. In cooperation with “Floga” parents association of children with cancer, the project “Home Nursing Assistance” (KON) is implemented to our everyday practice in order for children and their families to facilitate their daily life and to improve their quality of life. OTAK Physicians are also responsible for the diagnostic investigation procedures regarding children with suspicious for malignancy symptoms or signs as well as for performing interventional procedures such as bone marrow aspirations, trephine biopsies and lumbar punctures for the needs of our hospital departments. In OTAK department, an average of 80-100 newly diagnosed children with cancer are treated annually. Moreover, long-term follow-up care takes place for hundreds of cancer survivors. OTAK dpt facilities are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, taking care of already diagnosed patients as well as those referred from other departments located anywhere in the country. Patients are treated either in the clinic or in the outpatient service / day-care clinic. Approximately 600 children are admitted to the clinic annually. More than 7,000 children per year are examined at the Outpatient Service and the day care clinic. In the Outpatient Service there is a special infrastructure where minor operations such as diagnostic and therapeutic lumbar punctures, bone marrow aspirations and trephine biopsies are performed (more than 500 per year apart from that performed in the inpatient service ) in collaboration with the Anesthesiology Department of our Hospital (>250 per year). In our department, medical, nurse students and interns – residents are being trained. Numerous clinical protocols, research programs and phase I-III studies are performed offering to our children innovative treatments whereas, bi-annually, a psychosocial conference organized by OTAK takes place. Systematic recording of the incidents of the department in combination with conducting numerous research studies ensures numerous publications, announcements and awards in Greek and foreign language conferences and journals, a fact that makes OTAK recognizable in the International pediatric oncology community. Since 1998 OTAK under the auspices of the psychosocial committee of SIOP and in collaboration with the “Jeni Karezi” Foundation, a seminar has been organized and held every 2 years on the topic: ‘’Psychosocial support of the child with cancer and his family’’.