TY - JOUR T1 - Highlights from this issue JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood JO - Arch Dis Child SP - i LP - i DO - 10.1136/archdischild-2014-306849 VL - 99 IS - 7 AU - R Mark Beattie Y1 - 2014/07/01 UR - http://adc.bmj.com/content/99/7/i.abstract N2 - Abandonment of childhood cancer treatment is a major contributor to treatment failure in low income countries and virtually unknown in high income countries. The reasons for this are complex. Njuguna and colleagues explore this in a descriptive study using semistructured questionnaires to interview families of childhood cancer patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2009 who had abandoned treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya. There were 222 children diagnosed with treatment outcome documented in 180. Of these 98 abandoned treatment. Fifty-three families were traceable and 46 agreed to be interviewed. Reasons for treatment abandonment were—financial difficulties (46%), inadequate access to health insurance (27%), transportation difficulties (23%)—the full list is in the paper. Most abandoned treatment after the first 3 months. Of the 46 children only 9 (20%) were still alive at the point of family interview, of which six looked healthy. Change requires improved access to health insurance, financial or transportation support, parental education, psychosocial guidance and improved communication. The wider issue of why children do not receive treatment is discussed in an accompanying editorial. The challenge is that in many countries health care is a commodity for those who can … ER -