Cancer and Blood Diseases Center

Expert care from the world’s leading pediatric oncologists and hematologists

When it comes to caring for a child with cancer, it’s important that the care team is made up of pediatric specialists. That’s why our specialists are specifically trained in diagnosing and treating rare childhood cancers, such as medulloblastoma and optic glioma, which are rarely seen by adult doctors.

More than 100 doctors are on our Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center team, including some of the world’s best pediatric surgeons, pediatric oncologists, pediatric hematologists, pathologists and imaging specialists from Boston Children’s Hospital.

Global childhood cancer and blood disease experts from all medical specialty areas

• Although we see some of the most challenging patients, our survival rates meet or exceed published national average survival rates for all forms of pediatric cancer.
   
• Providing care for more than 3,900 children each year, our team has more experience treating children and teens with cancer and blood diseases than any other center in New England and most centers in the United States.
   
• Some of the most experienced pediatric hematopathologists and neuropathologists examine tissue samples to determine what type of blood disease or cancer your child has, so his doctors can outline the most effective treatment plan.
   
• We offer the most advanced clinical therapies, including stem cell transplantation, gene therapy and I-131 MIBG therapy for neuroblastoma.
   
• Our pediatricradiation oncologists minimize damage to healthy tissue by using computerized tomography (CT) to optimize conformal techniques and identify critical structures before any radiation treatment is delivered. We offer direct referral to the New England Proton Center, if necessary.
   

Access to Boston Children’s network of pediatric oncology and hematology  experts

• Surgeons are core members of our team. The orthopedic and neurosurgeons at Children’s were both ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report for expertise in their specialty areas. Our general surgeons are well respected for pioneering new surgical techniques, and we are one of the only hospitals in the United States with pediatric surgeons who are surgical pediatric oncologists (cancer specialists who perform surgery).
   
• Interventional radiologists at Children’s use minimally invasive approaches to help make a diagnosis, avoiding invasive surgeries whenever possible.
   
• Radiology and nuclear medicine specialists at Children’s have access to the most advanced imaging tools. They expertly interpret and share their results with your child’s care team. This is the largest pediatric radiology program in New England and one of the most extensive in the United States.
   
• All other specialists at Children’s, including but not limited to neurologists, endocrinologists and cardiologists, are available to join your child’s team whenever necessary.
   

Expert nursing staff and support staff 

• On average, each of our pediatric oncology and hematology nurses has 10 years of experience caring for young children with cancer and blood diseases.
   
• We create unique programs like Home Visits, an outreach program that helps newly diagnosed families adjust to life after a cancer diagnosis.
   
• One-on-one nursing care is available and provided as needed.
   
• Psycho-oncologists, resource and education specialists, financial coordinators, Child Life specialists, pharmacists and many others help manage children’s physical, emotional and everyday needs.
   

Innovative scientists whose research is changing the field

• We have a strong history of innovation and childhood cancer research. Many of the therapies used today—including the most commonly used treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)—were developed by our experts.
   
• We are a Boston Children’s Oncology Group Phase I center, and we offer many Phase I clinical trials unavailable at other centers. 
   
• Basic science researchers are integrated into our clinical team, which means their discoveries are quickly translated into new experimental therapies.
   

Leaders in survivorship care

• Our pediatric oncology survivorship service, the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic, is the nation’s model for survivorship care. Survivors meet with a comprehensive team of specialists familiar with their treatment and potential late effects.
   
• We offer two childhood cancer survivorship clinics—one each for general oncology and childhood brain tumor survivors. Our brain tumor survivorship clinic is extremely rare; there are only a few in the United States completely dedicated to pediatric brain tumor survivors.
   
• Our team works closely with adult centers, so older patients with blood diseases and cancer easily transition to adult treatment centers.
   
• We learn from our survivors. By collecting information about late effects of cancer and treatment, we improve how we treat our current patients.