Oncological management of pediatric cancer patients belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses: a two-institutional experience report

Abstract

Objectives: Aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of oncological treatment in pediatric patients belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses and to describe the changing policy in performing transfusions and supportive care measures at two German pediatric cancer institutions.

Patients and methods: Over a period of 16 years 21 treatments according to the current cooperative protocols were performed in 14 children of Jehovah's Witnesses. Various hematological supportive care measures such as supplementation with iron, human erythropoietin, interleukin 11, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and autologous or allogeneic stem cell rescue had been applied. For comparison matched pairs treated in our hospitals not belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses and 50 pediatric and adult oncological patients belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses reviewed from the international literature were analyzed with respect to transfusions and outcome.

Results: So far, 9 of 14 children are surviving 16-195 months (median 26 months). During the primary therapy they received markedly less transfusions than the control cohort (-39,1% red blood cell transfusions and -37,5% platelet transfusions). The review of 50 reported cases showed that oncological therapy can also be successfully performed with a restricted transfusion regimen in children and particularly in adults.

Conclusion: Pediatric cancer patients belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses can be treated similarly to other patients. A restrictive transfusion policy and the broad application of hematopoietic supportive care measures may reduce transfusions. This treatment policy and a continuous collaboration with the Hospital Liaison Committee for Jehovah's Witnesses appears to create an oncological treatment situation with a high compliance of patients and parents where court orders may not be necessary.