Post by Prinses Máxima Centrum voor kinderoncologie

Yesterday, physician-scientist Noa Wijnen defended her PhD thesis on the treatment of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML). At the heart of her research is one key question: how can we ensure that children with AML, wherever they live in the world, have the best possible chance of survival? During her first year as a PhD candidate at the Princess Máxima Center, Noa evaluated the implementation of an adapted AML treatment guideline in Kenya. 'We saw that infections were a major cause of death among children with cancer there. I immediately wanted to understand this better: what exactly is happening?' Noa explains. Through her PhD research, Noa has expanded our understanding of the delicate balance between cancer treatment and supportive care, and how this balance can lead to differences in survival outcomes for children with AML around the world.