New Hope for Children with Cancer in Thailand

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Cancer in children is one of the hardest things any family can face. But in Thailand, there is good news.
Doctors and researchers are now using new treatments, modern technology, and better care systems to help more children survive and live healthy lives.



Better Results for Leukemia Treatment

A large group of Thai doctors called the Thai Pediatric Oncology Group (ThaiPOG) has worked together to improve treatment for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood cancer.

They followed updated international medical plans and used genetic testing to understand each child’s cancer more clearly.
Because of this, the results have become much better:

  • About 75% of children stay cancer-free for at least 5 years, and

  • More than 80% survive overall — a result close to the best hospitals in the world.

This shows that Thailand now has modern, effective cancer treatment for many children.

New Treatment Options in Thai Hospitals

Many hospitals in Thailand now offer more than chemotherapy. They also use targeted drugs and biological therapies that attack only cancer cells, not healthy ones.

Hospitals with advanced treatment for children include:

  • Samitivej International Children’s Hospital

  • Ramathibodi Hospital (Mahidol University)

  • King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (Chulalongkorn University)

  • Bumrungrad International Hospital

  • Bangkok Hospital (BDMS Group)

These hospitals can provide bone marrow and stem cell transplants, advanced lab testing, and sometimes even cell and gene therapies for certain types of cancer.


CAR-T Cell Therapy – A New Step Forward

One of the newest and most powerful treatments now coming to Thailand is called CAR-T cell therapy.
This treatment changes a patient’s own immune cells in a lab so that they can find and destroy cancer cells more effectively. This therapy is still expensive.

At Chulalongkorn University Hospital, doctors have already started early CAR-T therapy trials for blood cancers, and the first results look very positive.
Other hospitals, such as Mahidol University and Samitivej Hospital, are preparing to offer similar treatments in the near future — including for children.

Working Together Across Thailand

To make sure more children can benefit from these new treatments, hospitals and universities are now working closely together.
Groups like the Thailand Hub of Talents in Cancer Immunotherapy (TTCI) and ThaiPOG organize national research and training programs about new therapies such as immunotherapy, cell therapy, and gene therapy.

Their goal is to bring world-class cancer treatment to Thai children, not only in Bangkok but across the country.

Some Challenges Remain

Even with all these improvements, there are still problems.
New treatments like CAR-T are very expensive and available only in large hospitals.
Families from smaller provinces may still need to travel far to get access.
Also, not all new drugs are yet covered by Thailand’s national health insurance system.

But things are moving in the right direction.
Each year, more hospitals are joining research projects and more children are getting access to modern care.

A Message of Hope

For families with a child fighting cancer — including Hodgkin’s lymphoma — this progress is a reason for real hope.
Thailand’s doctors are working hard to make sure every child has a chance to live, grow, and dream again.

Every new discovery brings us closer to a world where childhood cancer is no longer something to fear — but something we can fight and overcome together.

Sources:

  • Thai Pediatric Oncology Group (ThaiPOG) research on childhood leukemia

  • Mahidol University and Chulalongkorn University studies on cancer care

  • Samitivej International Children’s Hospital information on pediatric cancer treatment

  • Thailand Hub of Talents in Cancer Immunotherapy (TTCI)

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

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