Head of the Division

Paediatric oncology division at MCC caters to management of childhood cancer in children below 15 years of age. The division is equipped with two paediatric oncologists, ten staff nurses, a ward assistant, a dietician, social worker and clinical psychologist along with state of the art facilities for administering chemotherapy including biosafety cabinet, and 16 bedded wards with temperature regulation facility. Chemotherapy is administered via a central line (PICC line, Broviac line or chemo-port) which is inserted at the CVAD clinic or by the surgeon. Having a bed occupancy rate of nearly 70-80%, children are admitted for evaluation, providing intensive chemotherapy as well as for managing complications like febrile neutropenia on a regular basis. Children who take chemotherapy on OPD basis do so from the day chemo ward. Sick children are managed at present in medical ICU, whenever required.

Regular OPD functions between 9AM to 5PM on weekdays and from 9 AM to 1PM on Saturdays.  Around 200 new patients are seen each year, including some registrations taken for second opinion. The spectrum of childhood cancers that we manage include leukemias - ALL & AML, Lymphomas - Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphomas, Solid tumors - Wilm’s tumor, Neuroblastomas, Hepatobalstomas, Bone tumors (Ewing sarcoma and Osteosarcoma), Brain tumors (Medullobastomas, optic pathway gliomas and other astrocytomas), Retinoblastomas, soft tissues sarcomas (RMS and NRSTS), Germ cell tumors, LCH. Geographically, we get patients mainly from North Kerala (Kasaragod to Malappuram) and from Wayanad district.  

Treatments for all children who are residents of Kerala State are completely free and is provided under one of the Government Schemes (Cancer Suraksha Scheme, KASP, Thalolam, Karunya Benevolent Fund etc.). Our social worker help families in finding NGO support to provide financial assistance to those children who are residents of nearby states and hence not eligible for Kerala Govt. Schemes.     

With interdepartmental support, patients undergo surgery for solid tumors including bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas, Wilm’s tumor, Neuroblastomas and other tumors whenever required. Children with brain tumors are referred to Govt. Medical Colleges/ SCTIMST, Trivandrum for surgery after which they come back for adjuvant treatment. Children who require radiation therapy are referred to our radiation oncology department where they plan appropriate therapy which may require anaesthesia support and is provided by our anaesthetists. Cancer suvivor meets and parent support programmes are conducted on a regular basis where children (and parents) with on-going treatment interact with with medical professionals and survivors.  

MCC has MoU with Cuddles Foundation and HOPE child cancer care groups who provide staff (including dietician, clinical psychologists and social workers), other facilities including stay (home away from home), transport and financial assistance. A first of a kind initiative in the State, for setting up an Ocular oncology unit with in house facility for ocular management of retinoblastomas, apart from existing facility to provide systemic chemotherapy is underway.