Developing leukemia protocols in cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia

Since 1990 two departments of Pediatric Oncology in Indonesia and the Netherlands have worked together to improve staff capacities in the Estella Clinic in Yogyakarta and Indonesian clinics general, through workshops for pediatricians, nurses, technicians, psycho-social workers. Teleconferences were conducted weekly. Protocols for leukemia were developed. Joint research projects led to research experience for about 50 Dutch medical students, about 60 international publications and 8 PhD theses. The patients with acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia benefitted and showed increasing survival rates. Possible improvements in the future are also discussed.