Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

Our approach to pediatric cancer care

At Mass General Brigham, your child benefits from:

• A care team that includes social workers, behavioral health specialists, and child life specialists, who help children cope with diagnosis and treatments.
• Genetic testing to look for gene changes that increase cancer and blood disorder risk.
• Innovative pediatric proton therapy at New England’s only proton therapy center.
• Pediatric blood disease specialists who are world-renowned for their expertise in diagnosing blood disorders in children.
• Pediatric supportive and palliative care to ease symptoms and support children’s comfort.
• State-of-the-art pediatric imaging to aid diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer. It starts in bone marrow, the spongy material that makes blood cells. It increases your child’s risk of infections, bleeding, and anemia.

We’re renowned for our expertise in diagnosing and treating all types of childhood leukemia, including:

• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
• Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMMC)

We offer expert care for children who have Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We see children within 24 hours of a possible lymphoma diagnosis, allowing us to start life-saving treatments quickly.

A team of specialists provides:

• Advanced diagnostics
• Chemo, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplants
• Surgical biopsies and treatments

We partner with experts at Mass Eye and Ear to treat children’s head and neck tumors.

Some children with head and neck tumors benefit from proton therapy. We helped design this treatment and have the most experience using it for pediatric head and neck tumors.

Your child receives care from experts in:

• Cancer
• Eye, ear, nose, and throat care
• Neurosurgery, oral surgery, and plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Radiology and radiation oncology

At our Pediatric Brain Tumor Service, your child receives care from a team of internationally recognized experts. We bring together all the specialty providers in one location, making it easier for your family to access care.

Our state-of-the-art treatments for brain and spine tumors in children include:

• Advanced neurosurgical techniques using intraoperative MRI scans to successfully remove tumors
• Computer-assisted surgery
• State-of-the-art radiation treatments, including New England’s only provider of proton therapy
• The latest chemotherapy and targeted drugs

Sarcomas are cancerous tumors that form in your child’s bones or connective tissues. Mass General Brigham experts pioneered the first limb-sparing techniques to remove these tumors.

Our experts work closely with Mass General Brigham orthopedic cancer surgeons. These surgeons have extensive skill performing limb-sparing surgery for children, achieving excellent results.

For children with non-operable tumors, we’re the only center in New England offering proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation.

Our experts provide lifelong care for childhood cancer survivors. We help your child and family understand their diagnosis, treatments, potential risk for future health problems, and the need for ongoing health screenings. We also provide school liaison and vocational counseling services.

Your child receives lifelong care and support from specialists in:

• Cardio-oncology
• Endocrinology
• Neurology
• Psychology and psychiatry
• Pulmonology
• Reproductive health
• Other fields

We offer expert care for children with sickle cell disease and other anemias, bleeding disorders, clotting disorders, and pediatric strokes.

Your child receives care from specialists in:

• Childhood blood disorders
• Infectious diseases
• Neurology
• Orthopedics
• Pain management
• Radiology