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St. Jude and World Health Organization are creating a platform that will transform access to childhood cancer medicines around the world.
Neuro-Oncology
The Global Neuro-Oncology Program embraces the mission and vision of St. Jude Global, focusing on the foundational pillars of capacity building, education and research to improve outcomes in pediatric patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors.
The program was established in 2020 and has already conducted a multidisciplinary Neuro-Oncology Academy, with presentations from the St. Jude departments of Diagnostic Imaging, Radiation Oncology, Neurosurgery, Pathology and Nursing and Rehabilitation.
Program Initiatives
The Neuro-Oncology Program works to improve the diagnosis and treatment of, and research on, children with brain and spinal cord cancers. Among its projects, the program is building certificate-based courses to train clinicians worldwide in treating children with these cancers.
Initiatives underway include:
Capacity building
- Neuro-oncology needs assessment survey
- Quality improvement intervention
- Creation of a standardized diagnostic algorithm
- Implementation of standardized imaging sequences
- Creation of supportive care guidelines
- Telemedicine
Education
- St. Jude Global Academy Neuro-Oncology Training Seminar
- Clinical neuro-oncology fellowship
- Objective-based clinical, educational visits
- Tumor boards
- Partnerships for clinical fellowships in neuro-oncology, neuropathology, neuroradiology and pediatric neurosurgery
Research
- Epidemiologic characterization of CNS tumors globally
- Assessment of current neuro-oncology capacity, availability of services and impact on outcomes
- Interventions to decrease time to diagnose and improve outcomes
- Therapeutic guideline development
- Clinical trials addressing pediatric CNS tumors