What Makes Pediatric Oncology Unique?

Most cancers that are common in children are different from those seen in adults. Pediatric Oncology focuses on cancers in infants, children, and teens. Doctors in pediatric oncology are specially trained to care for your child and keep them comfortable during treatment. Pediatric oncology is the research and treatment of cancer in children and young adults.

Pediatric oncologists study and train in pediatrics and oncology. The types of cancer that develop in children are often different from those that develop in adults. Because of this, pediatric oncologists specialize in treating infants, children, young adults, and teens who have cancer. The treatment of pediatric patients requires special care and attention.

The treating physicians, not the fellows, personally manage the daily care of our patients. We're proud that children in Central and Eastern Kentucky can receive the same cutting-edge therapy close to home that they would at any pediatric cancer center anywhere in the country. It's always scary to think about pediatric cancer, but the good news is that many types of childhood cancer are highly treatable now. More than 80 percent of children who get cancer today survive five years or more.

Patients with pediatric cancers are often treated at centers that specialize in childhood cancer, such as Yale Medicine. Here, pediatricians, surgeons, oncologists and radiation oncologists work as a team to ensure the best possible treatment for each child. Other types of childhood cancer include rhabdomyosarcoma (which forms in muscle tissue), retinoblastoma (which forms in the eye), and bone cancer (including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma). Sometimes, children can develop other types of cancer that are more common in adults, but that's very rare.

Most pediatric cancers are treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these therapies. Chemotherapy drugs, given intravenously, attack fast-growing cells that comprise most childhood cancers. Pediatric cancers tend to respond better to chemotherapy than some cancers in adults. But chemotherapy kills healthy cells along with cancer cells.

Side effects such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and low blood counts can occur, sometimes along with long-term side effects such as infertility and nerve damage. Survival rates for children with cancer have increased dramatically, as a result of significant advances in cancer treatments, including pediatric cancer surgery. Immunotherapy uses the body's own immune system to attack cancer cells. Pediatric cancer immunotherapy has become an important treatment for many childhood cancers. Jude Leads the Way the World Understands, Treats and Defeats Childhood Cancer. Jude Children's Research Hospital is one of the world's leading centers for research and treatment of childhood cancer.

With unique clinical trials, innovative science and comprehensive patient care, our doctors and researchers are defining new frontiers in pediatric oncology. As a result of the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, families facing an increased risk of hereditary cancers can turn to St. Jude is the first and only Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute dedicated exclusively to children. Jude Cloud offers the world's largest public repository of pediatric cancer genomic data, along with unique analysis and visualization tools. Jude develops more cancer clinical trials than any other U.

S. Armed with cutting-edge research, excellent resources, and a strongly collaborative culture, we translate laboratory discoveries into new options for children with hard-to-treat cancers. The roots of pediatric cancer are hidden deep in a child's DNA. Jude University, Washington's Pediatric Cancer Genome Project is the world's most ambitious effort to discover the origins of childhood cancer and seek new cures. Improved treatments for childhood cancer have helped increase the ranks of survivors to more than 425,000 people across the country.

Jude is a pioneer in the field of cancer survival with major research programs that follow thousands of survivors for decades after their treatment. Unprecedented Study Finds Childhood Brain Tumor Survivors Are at Risk for Memory and Intelligence Deficits. A key objective? Catch them early. Child Life Specialists Show Supportive Interventions Lower Sedation Use and Cost. A Jude scientist identified the likely source cells of a common childhood brain tumor, group 4 medulloblastoma. Jude scientists have identified a mechanism that helps leukemic cells resist glucocorticoids, a finding that lays the foundation for more effective treatment of cancer and possibly a number of autoimmune diseases.

A landmark study shows that almost one in 10 children with cancer was born with a higher genetic risk of suffering from the disease. A new era of personalized medicine has begun for some patients with brain tumor medulloblastoma. Jude Scientists Identify Key Molecular Events in Pediatric Adrenal Cortex Tumors. The findings could help doctors identify most malignant subtypes and lead to better treatment. A possible targeted therapy is found for a high-risk form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer.

Researchers at the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project have completed the most comprehensive DNA analysis to date of the most common form of ALL in infants. Once you've narrowed down the search, there are some important questions to ask the pediatric oncologists on your list. A pediatric oncology clinic is a childhood cancer center that treats infants, toddlers, school-age children, young adults, and teens up to 18 or 19 years old. We are proud of the fact that children in Kentucky can receive the same cutting-edge therapy close to home as they would at any pediatric oncology center anywhere in the country. Pediatric oncology clinics have a large team of doctors, nurses, researchers and physical therapists, all of whom are actively involved in caring for children undergoing cancer treatment. In some cases, if a hematologist identifies a possible blood cancer in a child, he or she will be referred to a pediatric oncologist. For decades, Yale Medicine has been part of the Pediatric Oncology Group (now Children's Oncology Group), a global network of more than 200 hospitals dedicated to curing cancer in children. As a patient in a pediatric oncology clinic, children receive high-quality care and treatment in an environment designed specifically for younger age groups.

One of the most important parts of a pediatric oncologist's job is helping families understand their child's diagnosis and treatment options. Pediatric oncologists must be able to explain complex medical information clearly so families can make informed decisions about their child's care. The unique aspects of pediatric oncology include specialized treatments tailored specifically for young patients; access to cutting-edge research; collaboration between multiple medical professionals; personalized care; access to clinical trials; access to support services; access to genetic testing; access to long-term follow-up care; access to specialized equipment; access to specialized facilities; access to specialized medications; access to specialized therapies; access to specialized nutrition plans; access to specialized psychological support; access to specialized social services; access to specialized educational services; access to specialized financial services; access to specialized spiritual services.