Histiocytosis
Treatment
Program physicians and nurses provide personalized, state-of-the art care for patients with histiocytosis. Outpatient visits are scheduled at Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic, while any inpatient procedures or hospital stays are performed at Children's.
Treatment for histiocytosis requires the consideration of several factors, including the child's age and extent of illness. Some children do not require any therapy after biopsy is performed to establish the diagnosis.
The most frequent treatment for histiocytosis involves corticosteroids, in combination with chemotherapy, which suppress the body's immune system. While the immune system is compromised, children receive supportive care to reduce the risk of and treat infection. Examples of supportive treatment include antibiotics, transfusions, nutritional support, physical therapy and hormone replacement therapy.
Other treatments your child may receive include:
- surgery
- immune-based therapy
- radiation therapy
- stem cell transplantation
Because of the wide-range of treatments and their potential side effects, children with histiocytosis receive care from an integrated team of subspecialists. Members of this team are readily available to discuss each child's case and to provide referring physicians, patients and their families with detailed care plans and strategies for follow-up care.
A child with histiocytosis may receive treatment from the following pediatric specialists:
- Oncologist
- Pulmonologist (specialist in diseases of the lung)
- Endocrinologist
- Gastro-enterologist (specialist in disease of the gastrointestinal tract)
- Neurologist
- Dermatologist
- Dentist
- Orthopedic surgeon
- Neurosurgeon
- Radiation oncologist
Other pediatric care providers, including other subspecialists, nutritionists, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, and social workers, are available for consultation, if needed.
