Oncological Diseases

Patients with oncological diseases are treated at the Pediatric Oncology Unit of HM Montepríncipe University Hospital.

To schedule a new patient appointment, please call +34 917 089 935 or contact us through CONTACT.

According to data from the Spanish National Registry of Childhood Tumors, and following the same pattern observed in other comparable countries, the most frequent tumors in children and adolescents are leukemias and lymphomas (39%), followed by central nervous system (CNS) tumors (21%).

At our Unit, we see a high incidence of children with brain tumors. This has led us to focus our efforts on improving comprehensive care for these patients, integrating medical and nursing care with rehabilitation, physiotherapy, schooling, and music therapy.

Oncological diseases in children are completely different from those found in adults.

The proportion of tumors in the pediatric population is small, representing between 0.5% and 2% of all cancer cases (approximately one pediatric case for every 200 adult cases). In Spain, the incidence is approximately 1,000 new cases per year, similar to other developed countries. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in childhood after accidents in developed countries, and the leading cause of disease-related death in children and adolescents after the first year of life.

Overall, prognosis is favorable, and a fundamental objective is to reduce long-term side effects in adulthood. Survival rates have increased significantly in recent years and now exceed 78% on average, reaching 90% in some tumor types.

Leukemia

• Leukemia is a bone marrow disease in which leukocytes (white blood cells) lose their ability to mature and differentiate, producing millions of identical dysfunctional cells (leukemic cells or “blasts”) that fill the bone marrow and prevent normal production of other blood cells (red blood cells, platelets, and normal white blood cells). These cells then enter the bloodstream and lymphatic system, invading organs such as the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, brain, testes, ovaries, kidneys, or skin.
   
• Depending on the cell of origin, the malignant transformation may result in acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute myeloblastic leukemia.

Lymphoma

• Hodgkin lymphoma
   
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Burkitt lymphoma, lymphoblastic lymphoma, large cell lymphoma, other lymphomas

Central Nervous System Tumors

• Ependymomas and choroid plexus tumors
   
• Astrocytomas
   
• Embryonal tumors: medulloblastoma, PNET, medulloepithelioma, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT)
   
• Oligodendrogliomas, other gliomas
   
• Pineal tumors
   
• Meningiomas

Musculoskeletal Tumors

• Osteosarcoma
   
• Ewing sarcoma
   
• Rhabdomyosarcoma
   
• Aggressive fibromatosis
   
• Other non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas

Germ Cell Tumors

Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis

• Non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis (Juvenile Xanthogranuloma, JXG)

Liver Tumors

• Hepatoblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma

Sympathetic Nervous System Tumors

• Ganglioneuromas, neuroblastomas

Retinoblastoma