Evaluation of various aspects of paediatric malignancies in Turkey and Turkey's status in health statistics

Geographic differences in childhood cancer occurrence have been of great interest and have contributed to the current notion that most cancer cases are caused by environmental and cultural factors. The toxins, some of which are encountered by the general population, such as commonly used drugs, household products, solvents, pesticides, and insecticides, have been implicated as carcinogens and are factors that may add to the childhood cancer incidence in Turkey. Lack of information relevant to the disease, low family income, low educational status of parents, cessation of therapy, uncertainty about the child's future, fear for the child's survival, anxiety over the treatment and its effect as well as some cultural and traditional factors, are the basic individual characteristics of the population that interfere with the successful treatment of children with cancer in Turkey. Because the child with cancer is under enormous physical and emotional stress, appropriate psychosocial resources for the patient and family are important for optimal therapy. Community resources, healthcare services, income maintenance, medical insurance, financial assistance for treatment expenditures for the families who have children with cancer are extremely limited. These parameters are the unanswered needs which cancer patients and families face in our society. Despite impressive improvements, major problems remain to be solved.