Physical Health Brazil Project #21617

Save children with cancer in Brazil

by GRAACC - Support Group for Adolescents and Children with Cancer

Project Report | Sep 1, 2016
Genetic and Molecular Laboratory in GRAACC

By Mariane Rodrigues | Project Leader

Karine, GRAACC's patient

Genetic and Molecular Laboratory: improving treatment to childhood cancer in Brazil

GRAACC’s Hospital has just expanded its Genetic and Molecular Biological Laboratory one of the most advanced diagnosis and research's center in Brazil. The reform included new equipment that increased the safety of the analysis made and reduced contaminations risks.

The place has the best technics for genetic and molecular diagnosis that identify prognostics' factors that can interfere on treatment of the disease. This service collaborate with the 70% survival rate (90% for some types of the cancer). This is a great achievement, because in Brazil the survival rate in center not specialized in the care of the pediatric oncology reach only 48%.

With all these achievements, our hospital still have the challenge of expand the attendance to children and adolescents with cancer seeking treatment with hope in the hospital. The job is even more challenger considering most complex types of childhood cancer treatment that demands long period admitted in hospital, qualified staff, structure and investments. For this reason, we need help from people like you. All donations allows us to continue giving the best survival chances of cancer to Brazilian children.

Antonio Sergio Petrilli, MD, PhD
Medical Superintendent of GRAACC's Hospital

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Jun 3, 2016
Better chances to heal ocular cancer

By Mariane Rodrigues | Projetc Leader

Gabriel, GRAACC's patient

It is very gratifying to see all the efforts of people and companies that donate to keep our hospital in full operation. It have generated amazing results for patients with highly complex tumors.

More common in children under 5 years old, retinoblastoma is a malignant eye tumor which represents 10% of the cases treated in GRAACC’s Hospital. The healing chances have exceeded 90%.

Gabriel, 3, was diagnosed early with retinoblastoma in the right eye at 11 months of life. There were no symptoms, in addition to leukocoria, known as “cat eye shine” - white reflection in the pupil. Taken to hospital, Gabriel underwent fundus examination and forwarded immediately to GRAACC to receive proper treatment.

"Every child that present white reflection in the pupils, generally perceived in pictures, strabismus or any other ocular abnormality signal should be checked by an ophthalmologist and undergo deep examination with dilated pupils," explains Dr. Carla.

In GRAACC’s Hospital Gabriel passed chemotherapy treatment, which lasted 9 months. According to the mother, at the first session, the tumor was reduced in 60%. After this step, the boy underwent intra-arterial chemotherapy, which was injected by a micro-catheter in the groin. From there, it reaches the ophthalmic artery directly reaching the tumor and preserving other parts of the body and the eyeball.

The mother said that Gabriel responded very well to treatment from the start. "He had common reactions, such as sickness, but had no fever and the hair did not even fall, got only thin" reports. After the period of chemotherapies, Gabriel started deep examinations periodically.

Now, Gabriel plays and develops normally like any other child. "Thanks to early diagnosis, Gabriel went through all the procedures and was not submitted to enucleation. Results like this confirm that early diagnosis due with proper treatment, it is essential for tumor cure with preservation of the eye" says Dr. Luiz Fernando Teixeira, ophthalmologist of GRAACC, responsible for handling Gabriel.

Thank you for helping the children, as well as Gabriel, to have every chance of cure!

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Mar 8, 2016
A year of glory

By Mariane Rodrigues | Project Leader

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