Pediatric Programs
Leukemia
The Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Care's Leukemia Program treats children and adolescents with all forms of leukemia. We utilize the expertise of both Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Our program offers comprehensive, multidisciplinary diagnosis, treatment, consultation services, and long-term follow-up for pediatric and adolescent patients with hematologic malignancies. Members of our physician team all have specific expertise in pediatric leukemias and are recognized as national leaders in the field. Specific disciplines include oncology, stem cell transplantation, radiation oncology, surgery and hematopathology.
Treatment protocols used at Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute offer the best published cure rates for children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). These protocols are designed by our own physician experts and are utilized by several other institutions in the United States and Canada.
Diagnostic Evaluations
- Expert hematopathologic evaluation of peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens.
- All diagnostic samples are evaluated by flow cytometry, classical cytogenetics, and when appropriate, molecular techniques such as FISH and PCR.
Treatments
- Modalities
- Chemotherapy
- Stem cell transplantation
- Radiation (exceptional cases)
- Surgery (for venous access)
- Options for newly diagnosed patients
- Access to most current research studies via Children's Oncology Group
- Access to most current research study designed by expert physicians at Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The ALL protocols at Dana-Farber and Children's have the highest published cure rates for ALL
- Individualized treatment plans tailored to each patient's needs
- Options for recurrent leukemia
- Access to experimental therapies via local and national studies
- Alternative donor stem cell transplantation
- Pediatric Advanced Cancer Team with focus on palliative care and symptom management
Long-term Follow-up
- The Leukemia Program is committed to recognizing and reducing late effects of treatment in long-term survivors. Our treatment protocols include innovative approaches designed to reduce these late effects.
- Patients treated on our ALL protocols are followed closely after the end of therapy, and assessed for any neuropsychologic effects (such as learning disabilities), cardiac dysfunction, growth disturbances, and ophthalmologic abnormalities (such as cataracts) by physicians and other clinicians with specific expertise in these areas.
- Long-term survivors of ALL who have received cranial radiation can receive assistance from the School Liaison Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute if they are having problems at school. This program consists of a multidisciplinary team who facilitate comprehensive assessments and testing of children experiencing academic difficulties, designing individualized education plans for children, and advocating within a child's school system to ensure that a child's school experience is optimized.
- We have an established multidisciplinary, comprehensive long-term follow-up program, the Perini Quality of Life Clinic. This program addresses the medical, psychosocial, and financial consequences of cancer survivorship.
Consultation
We offer multidisciplinary, comprehensive consultation services to physicians and families at the time of diagnosis, on therapy, at relapse, and in follow-up.
Other services provided include
- Pediatric psychologists and social workers available for patients, siblings, and parents.
- Resource specialist to help families apply for assistance from cancer-related organizations and relevant federal and local programs.
- Complementary therapies consultation and treatment integrated into the comprehensive care plan.
- Medical ethics consultation
- Infectious disease physicians who specialize in the care of cancer patients
- Specialists in managing cancer pain
- Integrated relationships with other adult and pediatric subspeciality physicians and services such as cardiology, pulmonary, endocrinology, reproductive and gynecologic services, neurology, anesthesia, dermatology, nutrition, physical therapy.
- Ronald McDonald housing for short-term lodging
- School Re-entry Program
Inpatient care
Provided at Children's Hospital Boston on a dedicated oncology unit with specialized nursing care including primary nursing, daily teaching session, clinical nurse specialists, staff with certification in pediatric oncology nursing (CPON); nurse practitioner; child life specialists and dedicated activity rooms for all ages; dedicated adolescent activity center; pastoral care services; discharge planning team; age-appropriate tutoring.
Outpatient care
Provided at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the Jimmy Fund Clinic. Services include primary nursing, comprehensive age-based day hospital facilities, dedicated pediatric oncologic pharmacy support, staff with certification in pediatric oncology nursing (CPON), child life specialists, dedicated activity room, resource room for families. Medical treatments provided include chemotherapy, transfusion support and other supportive care.
