Paediatric Chemotherapy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Overview

Course Description

Chemotherapy is used to treat cancers that respond well to appropriate cytotoxic medicines, decrease the size of tumors for easier and safer removal by surgery, enhance the cancer-killing effectiveness of other treatments, such as radiation therapy, to control the cancer and enhance the patient’s quality of life.

The treatment of childhood cancers is complex, involving the consideration of many factors, including characteristics of the cancer (e.g., its type, site, stage, and histology) and of the child (e.g., his or her age, presenting symptoms, and general health). In general, most children with cancer are treated using chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, or a combination of two or more of these modalities. Although there are exceptions, childhood cancers tend to respond well to chemotherapy because they involve fast growing cells, which are the target of most forms of chemotherapy.

Many of the gains in childhood cancer survival have come through the development of combination chemotherapies (use of multiple agents) and multimodality therapy (the application of different types of treatment).

This easy to understand online CPD, has been put together by a highly experienced, very skilled, and multinational-multidisciplinary team for health professionals involved in the treatment and management of Cancers in Children in Su-Saharan Africa.

What you will learn

1. To enable participants, understand the burden of childhood cancer in Sub Saharan Africa.
2. To enable participants, understand the management of childhood cancer in Sub Saharan Africa
3. To enable participants, understand the preparation and storage of cytotoxic medications in childhood cancer
4. To improve the skills of participants on the administration of cytotoxic medications in childhood cancer
5. To improve on the skills in the management of cytotoxic Spills in a clinical setting
6. To enable participants, understand the management of side effects of cytotoxic medication in childhood cancer