| If your child is being treated you may see many | | | | Treatments for Childhood Cancer |
| different types of care providers including physicians, | | | | The treatments and services your child may receive |
| nurse practitioners, nurses, and care assistants, as well | | | | for his or her cancer depend on the cancer your child |
| as Child life specialists. Your child also may have a | | | | has. Some treatments are more appropriate for |
| variety of treatments, depending on your child's form | | | | certain types of cancers. |
| of cancer. | | | | Chemotherapy is the use of medications to treat your |
| Different Physicians Who Work with Childhood Cancer | | | | child's cancer. Your child may receive treatment as an |
| The term pediatric oncology - or childhood cancer - is | | | | inpatient or an outpatient. Your child also may receive |
| a very vague phrase that covers many different | | | | this medication through a needle, through a pill, or as a |
| areas. Your child may be seen by a specific type of | | | | liquid that they swallow. There are various side effects |
| pediatric oncologist, depending on what type of cancer | | | | from chemotherapy. Your pediatric oncologist will |
| your child has. | | | | discuss these side effects with you. |
| General oncologists treat patients who have a tumor | | | | Radiation delivers certain types of ionizing rays (the |
| that is not in the brain or bone. | | | | radiation) to a targeted area. This type of treatment |
| Pediatric oncologists are needed if neuroblastoma, | | | | can be delivered to your child as an outpatient. Your |
| kidney cancer, liver cancer, or another "soft tissue" | | | | child's oncologist may opt to use radiation and |
| type of tumor or cancer is found. | | | | chemotherapy together to deliver more effective |
| Pediatric neuro-oncologists are physicians who | | | | treatment for your child. Radiation therapy may be |
| specialize in different types of brain and nervous | | | | most effective for tumors and soft tissue cancers. It |
| system cancers. Your child may see a pediatric | | | | typically is not used for blood cancers or blood |
| neuro-oncologist if your child's form of cancer is in | | | | disorders. Radiation can be used for treatment or |
| brain, spinal cord, or another part of the nervous | | | | palliative care. Palliative care means that the radiation is |
| system. | | | | being used to help with symptoms, but will not |
| Pediatric orthopedic oncologists see children who have | | | | necessarily cure the cancer. |
| different types of bone cancers. These cancers can | | | | Stem cell transplants can be a successful treatment |
| include osteosarcomas, Ewing's sarcoma, or another | | | | for some types of childhood cancer, including some |
| cancer in their bones. | | | | forms of leukemia. The stem cells may come from |
| Pediatric hematologists work with children who have | | | | your child, siblings, or donor cord blood. Your child will |
| blood disorders and blood cancers. Seeing a pediatric | | | | need to be hospitalized for the stem cell transplant. |
| hematologist doesn't necessarily mean that your child | | | | Some stem cell programs at children's hospitals offer |
| has a blood cancer. These providers treat many | | | | various forms of assistance for families whose |
| children who have a blood disorder like anemia, | | | | children are having transplants. This assistance can |
| hemophilia, or high white blood cell counts, but who | | | | include dedicate units for the cancer patients, |
| don't have cancer. If your child has leukemia, he or she | | | | videophones, and emotional support. |
| also may be treated by a pediatric hematologist. | | | | |