The Medical Projects and Support Services works to increase availability and affordability of quality diagnostics, drugs, and treatment interventions to children with cancer and their families.
- Provide and facilitate financial assistance for diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer, as per standards of care.
- Partner with pediatric oncology professionals and advisors on specific childhood cancer.
- Medical Projects and research to improve survival outcomes.
- Advocate to improve availability, affordability, and quality of treatment, drugs, diagnostics, protocols, and standard.
- Provide manpower and build capacities of healthcare professionals and institutions.
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Direct Services
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Indirect Services
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No child should suffer for want of treatment for lack of finance.
Disease-Centred Projects
Tackling one cancer at a time.
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Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Survival rates can be as high as 90%. Cost of treatment is relatively low. Incidence in India is about 1500 new cases. This project commenced in July, 2015. CanKids has sponsored the Indian Childhood Hodgkin's Lymphoma 1 Study, which aims to prospectively collect demographic, clinical, treatment, and outcome information on children with this disease in India, treated on a uniform ABVD based protocol. The study was conducted across 27 participating centers, with 408 patients. There have been 1157 beneficiaries in four years. Know more. The next study on Relapsed Hodgkin's Lymphoma is currently being rolled out. Retinoblastoma (Eye Cancer)
Survival rates can be as high as 99%. The goal is to save lives, save eyes, and save vision. Incidence in India is 1500 to 2000 new cases per year. This project started in 2009. We have spearheaded a 'Fight RB India' campaign, partnering with 24 retinoblastoma treating centres across the country. Our National Retinoblastoma Study aims to prospectively collect demographic, clinical, treatment and outcome information on children with retinoblastoma in India treated on a uniform protocol. Know more. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (Blood cancer)
Leukemias are the most common type of childhood cancers. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), also known as blood cancer, has survival rates as high as 92% in developed countries. But treatment can take up to 3 years, with an intensive 6 months and a 2-5 year maintenance period. In India, the incidence is 25% of leukemia. Of the 85 centres CanKids currently partners with, 54 treat ALL. In the last few years there has been progress in terms of better diagnostics, risk stratification, and focus on infection control and reduction in toxic deaths. CanKids's Golden Crab ALL Project commenced in February, 2017. In addition to providing flow cytometry, a cytogenetics, BCR/ABL and Minimum Residual Disease Project and service was started in Feb, 2017. To date, we partner with 21 centers, with 950 child beneficiaries. We support ALL projects in the following 5 centers:
Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma
The project aims to improve the survival of children with bone tumours, as well as decrease the disease- and treatment-related morbidity. Bone Marrow Transplant
The project encourages Hematopioetic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) centres to partner with us by subsidising costs of treatment for patients from economically disadvantaged families, supporting pediatric HSCT patients and their families (before, during, and after their transplants) by providing relevant information, guidance, medical assistance, and psycho-social support. Know more. |
We have five projects for Awareness, Advocacy, Research, and Patient Support for specific childhood cancers or treatment interventions, including Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Retinoblastoma, Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma, and Pediatric Bone marrow Transplants, with specific targets and research studies to improve survival outcomes.
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Medical Capacity & Skill Building
CanKids enables health professionals and social support teams to provide better standards of treatment and support through these methods:
ECHO Zoom Capacity Building
Weekly online meetings allow medical social workers to interact with our medical advisory and senior management to decide on cases of patient support as well as to build capacities through case presentations and teaching sessions.
100 Nurses Project
Increasing the number of dedicated nurses working in cancer treating units across the country. The project aims to optimise the nurse-to-patient ratio and improve education and training of all nurses working in pediatric oncology units across India.
Paediatric Oncology Capacity skill building partnership services
CanKids has provision for setting up Outreach Clinics at centres where, in the absence of designated Paediatric Oncologists, services are temporarily being provided either by a Paediatrician or a Medical Oncologist. The primary aim of this service is to provide Paediatric Oncology input and support to the treating Paediatrician/Medical Oncologist, as the case may be.
Stakeholder Engagement
Through Regional Paediatric Oncology Forums, Fight RB India, Regional Pediatric Oncology Networks and more, we promote collaboration and networking among all stakeholders in pediatric oncology.
6,378 patients received direct financial support of ₹9.62 crores. 1,263 patients were facilitated with access to government welfare schemes and insurance of ₹20.06 crores, ensuring total medical support of ₹29.68 crores in 2020-21.
These interventions are crucial to prevent families from abandoning treatment, and to help improve survival outcomes.
These interventions are crucial to prevent families from abandoning treatment, and to help improve survival outcomes.