Brain Tumors
Coordinated Care
Specialists from Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute provide coordinated care for children with brain and spinal cord tumors at the Stop & Shop Family Pediatric Brain Tumor Clinic.
Rather than taking your child from specialist to specialist, your child becomes the center of a team effort. Shortly after a diagnosis is made, our team meets and designs a coordinated treatment plan. When your family visits the Clinic, you will settle into an exam room where each specialist on our team will come to visit you and your child, one after another, until a complete picture of your child's needs emerges.
At the Clinic, you will see your child's neurosurgeon and neuro-oncologist, as well as many other members of your child's health care team, including neurologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, physical and occupational therapists, endocrinologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nutritionists, complementary medicine specialists and school specialists. Additionally, a clinical coordinator will help your family address many practical concerns, such as scheduling appointments and answering general questions.
Both the tumors and the treatments have potential for long-term damage and side effects, including learning disabilities, emotional challenges, personality changes and movement and sensory deficits. After treatment is complete, fully coordinated follow-up care, offered through the Stop & Shop Family Neuro-Oncology Outcomes Clinic, helps families and patients find resources and methods to cope with any resulting side effects.
