The Surgical clinics of North America
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The cure rate in childhood cancer has improved markedly during the past 20 years. In the 1960s the cure rate was about 20 to 30 per cent, but today more than 50 per cent of children and adolescents with cancer are being cured. This improvement is principally due to multidisciplinary teamwork in diagnosing, staging, and treating children with cancer; newer and more chemotherapeutic agents; and a recognition that combination therapy consisting of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy is frequently indicated.
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The management of children's tumors has changed significantly in the past several years. New techniques and combined surgical, chemotherapeutic, and radiation approaches are responsible for improved survival in most instances. Cooperation of the surgeon with the specialists in separate disciplines is imperative to continued advancements in neoplastic disease of childhood.
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Airway obstruction in infants and children can produce rapidly progressive life-threatening emergencies. An understanding of the common symptom complexes associated with regional obstructive abnormalities allows rapid evaluation and appropriate therapy. This article discusses the most common types of obstructive congenital and acquired airway anomalies, describes their symptomatology, and reviews the available diagnostic and treatment options.