The Solid Tumor Oncology Program at University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s largest multidisciplinary programs caring for children with solid tumors.
Pediatric cancers are different than adult cancers, primarily because childhood cancers are extremely rare and complex. The best care for solid tumors requires a team approach, with pediatric specialists from multiple disciplines coming together under one coordinated setting to provide the best chances for a cure.
Because our team of pediatric specialists treats so many children with complex solid tumors, we are particularly well versed in the treatment of these conditions and have special expertise in even the most rare tumors.
Our Team
Each member of our care team is a dedicated pediatric subspecialist, with specialization in the care of children with solid tumors.
Our care team includes specialists in:
- Pediatric oncology
- Pediatric surgery
- Pediatric radiology and interventional radiology
- Pediatric otolaryngology (ENT)
- Pediatric urology
- Pediatric radiation oncology
- Pediatric anesthesia
- Pain and palliative care
- Pathology
- Psychology
- Social work
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy
- Nutrition
We also offer child life specialists to work with children to help kids be kids throughout their diagnosis and treatment, using activities and play to support them and their families in developing coping skills, minimizing stress and anxiety, and reducing fear and isolation.
Our dedicated Solid Tumor Oncology Program nurse practitioner is available to guide you and your family through the entire process of diagnosis and treatment. The nurse practitioner is a convenient point of contact who will be there with you every step of the way, coordinating tests and consultations, ensuring tight communication among members of the medical team, and helping your family become familiar with the diagnosis and plan of care, as well as helping you access any support and resources that can help you along your journey.
Whenever possible, we work closely with your family’s referring physician and general care practitioners to coordinate care and keep appropriate aspects of your child’s care close to home.
We also work together with the specialists in the University of Michigan Rogel Center to coordinate care during your child’s transition to adult-care, working alongside the patient and family to determine when it’s time and ensuring the transition is seamless.
Who we treat
Our team of specialists diagnoses and treats children with all types of solid tumors, including:
- Bone sarcomas
- Germ cell tumors and teratoma
- Hepatoblastoma
- Melanoma
- Metastatic tumors
- Neuroblastoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Relapsed and resistant diseases
- Wilms tumor
Solid Tumor Treatment
We offer a full range of therapies, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell therapy, or a combination of these therapies. Most recently, our team began offering hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for patients with complex or advanced abdominal (stomach) cancers. HIPEC is a newer procedure available to pediatric patients at only a few medical centers throughout the United States.
Our patients have access to many innovative Phase 1 Clinical Trials, providing hope for many refractory or relapsing patients for whom standard treatment options have failed. As active members of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), our oncologists collaborate with other leading pediatric cancer centers to offer children the most promising treatments available.
Our specialists prepare a comprehensive treatment plan for each patient, developed jointly through tumor board meetings featuring representatives of each specialty involved in your care.
Treatment for each child is individualized, combining the best available current knowledge with leading edge research breakthroughs, often involving world renowned researchers from right here at the University of Michigan.
The physicians at U-M understand how difficult it is for everyone in the family when a child is diagnosed with a solid tumor. In concert with your referring physician, we are always available to offer a second opinion for your child and to set up a consultation with one of our specialists.
Why Choose Us?
The most important criteria for choosing a children's hospital to care for a child with a solid tumor is to select a hospital that can offer the full range of diagnostic and treatment resources. Although many solid tumors are very rare, the staff at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Solid Tumor Oncology Program specializes specifically in providing care for children diagnosed with a solid tumor. You can expect your U-M care team to be particularly well-informed regarding the treatment of these conditions, with expertise even in the most rare tumors and the experience needed to design customized, effective treatment plans.
Our leadership in basic research and clinical trials gives us unique understanding of the causes and factors at play in the case of a diagnosis of a solid tumor. This allows us to make a particularly well qualified and well-informed, evidence-based treatment plan.
Our single, coordinated clinic setting gives families the confidence and convenience of knowing that their child’s care will be truly coordinated, with exams, treatment and follow up appointments streamlined for efficiency of care and convenience for you and your family.
Our oncology program is ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report year after year.
Take the next step
For more information or to make an appointment, call 734-936-9814.