Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

Children's Haematology and Oncology Clinic takes part in theoretical and practical preparation of full-time university students of medicine, nursing care and public health studies, providing education in children oncology to the effect of the study and examination scheme in the form of lecturing and practical teaching as well as in external learning. The Clinic's healthcare professionals specialized in children oncology are also involved in the teaching activities.

As a part of postgraduate studies, the Clinic's healthcare professionals deal with the question of using PET in malign lymphoma diagnostics, the issue of diagnostics and treatment of invasive mycoses. Examinations of minimal residual disease in acute lymphoblastic leukaemias using molecular genetics is performed in cooperation with the Department of Cytogenetics of the National Oncology Institute (through the mediation of the Children's Faculty Hospital and Clinic – DFNsP), funded by the grant of the Ministry of Health. The Clinic's professionals take part in the project of the Pathological Physiology Institute of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University (the VEGA grant): Long-term complications in oncologic patients treated during the period of childhood and adolescence – a new multidisciplinary problem.

Children's Haematology and Oncology Clinic (temporarily Children Oncology Clinic) was established in 2004 on the basis of the Children Oncology Department of DFNsP that had been founded as an independent organizational unit in 1991, continuing the 20-year tradition in treatment of leukaemias and lymphomas in the II Children Clinics as well as the tradition of treatment of solid tumours in the Paediatric Surgery Clinic. The Clinic mainly provides cytostatic treatment of tumours. Tumour surgeries are made in mutual cooperation at DFNsP's surgery clinics, while radiotherapy is performed in St. Elisabeth Oncology Institute. As a part of the complex treatment of patients, the Clinic also provides all necessary supportive therapies, psychological and social care, continuing healthcare after the treatment's end, diagnostics and management of malignancies' late effects and their treatment; palliative care is also provided to children in final stage of incurable disease. The treatment complies with the international protocols for treatment of malignancies in children. Long-term survival of more than 70 % of patients is comparable to health centres abroad. Children's Haematology and Oncology Clinic also cooperates with other clinics and departments of DFNsP as well as with other – mostly oncologic – healthcare centres. It has developed an above standard cooperation with the Working Group of Children Haematology and with children's haematology and oncology clinics in the Czech Republic. Cooperation with working groups taking part in international studies is also developed.