Ana Fernández-Teijeiro Álvarez, president of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (Sehop).
Training in Pediatric Oncology and Hematology in Spain is not officially regulated or recognized. Currently, pediatric oncologists and hematologists require specific training after their comprehensive training in Paediatrics. Therefore, according to Ana Fernández-Teijeiro Álvarezpresident of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (Sehop), “it is necessary to have this specialty as soon as possible in Spain to guarantee the adequate staffing of our sanitary system with the best-trained pediatric cancer specialists.
In order for the specialty of Pediatric Onco-hematology to be recognized, the president of Sehop explains in statements to Medical Writing that “has already been submitted to the Ministry of Health as a specific training area (ACE), under the umbrella of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) and its 24 societies of pediatric specialties”.
Once recognized by Health this pediatric ACEFernández-Tejeiro declares that “should be translated in the MIR and that Pediatrics places be offered in which they say ‘Onco-hematology Pediatrics‘”. In addition, he adds that “these places must be located in the centers where it would be guaranteed that, at the end of the three years of compulsory general paediatrics, they would continue with the specific training in the specialty”.
Likewise, Fernández-Tejeiro adds that “the duration of the specialty of Pediatric Onco-hematology must be two years and the option of extending it for one more year (a total of three years) is also proposed to do a subspecialization in hematopoietic stem cell transplants or in brain or hematology tumors, for example”. That is, “a total duration of between five and six years,” emphasizes Fernández-Tejeiro.
These are the centers that would train in Pediatric Onco-hematology
As for where this specialty should be taught, the president of Sehop assures that “the fairest way would be for centers with training capacity to teach it or those that have an agreement with other hospitals to carry out complete training.” Likewise, Fernández-Tejeiro hopes that “be approved during this year 2022 since it is really necessary that pediatricians have the opportunity to specialize in Onco-hematology”.
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“The absence of the specialty is hampering the coverage of its vacancies” |
In this regard, Fernández-Tejeiro points out that “this recognition is needed because the absence of the specialty is weighing down the vacancy coverage of this same”. A situation that means that, when a vacancy or sick or maternity leave arises, “in many Autonomous Communities there are difficulties since they resort to the list of the employment exchange”. And, according to the president of the Sehop , “in theory that position can be filled by any pediatrician and carry out this specific work and this is not possible”.
Lack of generational change in pediatric Onco-hematology
Added to this situation is that “20 percent of pediatric onco-hematology specialists will retire in the next 10 years“. A claim that was made from the Sehop on the occasion of the International Day of Children with Cancer, which is celebrated this Tuesday, February 15.
In this sense, the Sehop recognizes that the pediatric oncologists and hematologists they require specific training to deal with cancers in childhood, in cancer molecular genetics, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, advanced therapies, in research (clinical trials I-III) and in personalized medicine.
A lack of specialized professionals who, despite the fact that the latest data from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (NETWORKS-Sehop) in which a survival of 81% is stipulated in children under 14 years of age with cancer, requires care by multidisciplinary teams (physicians, nursing, psychologists, biologists, etc.) with specific and in-depth knowledge of the different pathologies both in the diagnosis, during their treatment and in the follow-up of survivors.
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