Pediatric cancers are different from adult cancers, primarily due to the fact that it isn't clear what causes childhood cancer. The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital has the largest pediatric oncology research effort in Michigan, providing comprehensive care for children with cancer, including leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, neuroblastoma and Wilm's tumor.

At the Mott Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oncology Program, groups of physicians specializing in different aspects of cancer treatment meet twice monthly to discuss the care and treatment of patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer. Pediatric oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians attend these Tumor Board meetings, allowing for our collective expertise to provide a thorough, comprehensive approach to the care of children with cancer.

We treat all forms of childhood cancers, including:

• Bone tumors
• Brain Tumors
• Ewing's sarcoma (cancer in bone or soft tissue)
• Eye Cancer (retinoblastoma)
• Hepatoblastoma
• Leukemia
• Liver Cancer
• Lymphoma
• Neuroblastoma (cancer in nerve tissue of adrenal gland, neck, chest or spinal cord)
• Wilm’s Tumor (kidney cancer)

We have a variety of national clinical trials available through the Children’s Oncology Group – an organization funded through National Institutes of Health – and are an active Phase 1 Center for patients who have run out of standard therapies. Phase 1 trials are available at only a handful of centers around the country, offering the newest drugs available for children who haven’t responded well to other treatments.

Our Pediatric Long-Term Follow-Up Clinic provides comprehensive assessment and evaluation of children and adolescents who have completed treatment for cancer, typically when the patient is at least 3-5 years from completion of active therapy. Clinic services include risk-based screening recommendations and education about potential treatment-related effects.

Because cancer risk can run in families, brothers and sisters of children with cancer should be examined to find out if they may also develop the disease.

We offer genetic counseling to answer all your questions about inherited diseases, providing comprehensive evaluation, education and support.

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the journey that lies ahead can seem overwhelming. Through various developmental, educational and supportive endeavors, our Child & Family Life and Pediatric Social Work Programs help young people and their families cope with illness and protect the essence of childhood throughout their health-care experiences.

Our Patient Family Education Resource Center provides a vital link between the patient and the most current cancer information resources. It is a full-service library housing a comprehensive collection of print and audiovisual resources on all aspects of cancer.

In 2004, we launched a unique concept in patient education and empowerment: The Skills Lab. The goal of this interactive area is to equip the cancer patient and family with the tools needed to participate in treatment and recovery, including use of catheters and pumps used for the administration of chemotherapy drugs, changing dressings and administering injections.

Schedule an appointment by calling us at 734-936-9814