Childhood Blood Cancer Types and Programs

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The Hematologic Malignancy Center at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center features four world-class treatment programs offering patients deep expertise and advanced therapies for specific conditions. Each program features an authority in his/her area of expertise as well as teams of subspecialists and nurses with training and years of proven experience.

Blood cancers affect the production and function of your child's blood cells. While normal blood cells will reproduce and die, cancerous blood cells don't die and instead continually reproduce and crowd out the healthy blood cells. Leukemias and lymphomas are the most common types of cancer in children. Histiocytosis is generally not considered a blood cancer, but it is treated with therapies similar to those used to treat blood cancers.

We treat every type of blood cancer, even the most rare sub-types.

Leukemia Treatment Program

Dana-Farber/Boston Children's is home to one of the top leukemia treatment programs in the world. Our program has played a leading role in refining treatment for childhood leukemia, resulting in cure rates of more than 90 percent for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We continue to lead clinical trials designed to increase cure rates while decreasing treatment-related side effects.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)

Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)

Lymphoma Treatment Program

Specialists in our Lymphoma Program have deep experience in diagnosing and treating a wide range of newly diagnosed and relapsed lymphomas. Our clinical research program offers unique access to clinical trials in which children can receive the newest lymphoma treatments.

Hodgkin Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Burkitt Lymphoma

Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

Rare Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

Node Assessment Program

Our Node Assessment Program (NAP) provides a multidisciplinary approach to the care of children with persistent swelling of the lymph nodes (or glands), a condition known as lymphadenopathy. Pediatric patients of all ages have access to expert clinicians that include otolaryngologists, surgeons, pathologists, hematologists/oncologists, infectious disease specialists and radiologists.