HISTORY OF PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOCY IN THE CZECH-REPUBLIC

Specialized treatment for children with hematologic and oncologic dise ases in the Czech Republic has a relatively short history. Dr. Josef K outecky in 1964 was the first to organize the discipline of oncologic treatments and started a department that has since grown to include si x other senior members. They treat over 250 new patients a year (appro ximately 150 malignant tumours) with an incidence similar to that in o ther European nations. Most are treated on cooperative group protocols with other centers in Europe and North America. Over 30 children also receive bone marrow transplants yearly from this group. Hematologic d iseases including leukemia were first treated by Dr. O. Hrodek since t he late 1950s in the Second Department of Pediatrics in Prague. Light other centers in the Czech Republic besides Motol treat children with leukemia. Since 1985 they have followed the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster ( BFM) protocols for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) an d acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). The Motol Hematology Section does about 20 transplants a year. New molecular biology laboratories in bo th sections aid the diagnosis and follow-up of the patients.