Pediatric Precision Medicine

We know every child is unique. We believe cancer treatment should be, too.

Our Precision Medicine program elevates the standard of care for personalized pediatric cancer treatment for fewer side effects and longer-lasting remissions.

As a leading referral center, Cook Children’s Precision Medicine program offers innovative testing and tailored treatment for pediatric cancers. Our care includes tumor profiling, targeted therapy and treatment adjusted to personal genetics for fewer side effects. We work closely with our referring physicians to create personalized, data-driven treatment plans for each patient.

Why refer your patient to Cook Children’s Precision Medicine Program?

As part of the renowned Cook Children's Hematology and Oncology Center, we offer safe, effective and innovative care your patients can rely on. We are making strides to truly move pediatric cancer care beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.

When you refer a patient to Cook Children’s Precision Medicine Program, you can expect:

Precise treatment for a range of cancers: Our program currently treats a range of solid tumors and some blood cancers, using newer therapies aimed at specific features of malignancies. We were early adopters of a treatment for infantile fibrosarcoma targeting a specific genetic variant. We have also seen remarkable success with a non-chemotherapy approach for Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH).
Advanced testing: We use the latest technology to profile tumors and blood cancers to identify targeted treatment options. We also offer new techniques for monitoring cancer growth and recurrence. Our pharmacogenomic services provide a better understanding of how each child will uniquely metabolize potential drug therapies. This advance can limit side effects and make outcomes more predictable.
Collaborative approach: Our in-house team includes leading experts in Oncology, Genetic Oncology, investigational and clinical pharmacy services, molecular pathology, and clinical research. Together, our weekly Precision Medicine meeting identifies first and second lines of treatment, including appropriate clinical trials. We also collaborate with other genomic and genetic specialists across the nation to track the best testing and treatment available.
Flexibility: We are here to provide any level of care needed, with patient coordinators ensuring your patients get the most appropriate services. We can assume total care in our Fort Worth medical center or provide virtual testing interpretation and treatment recommendations. Remote services require access to patients’ molecular profiling
Research into new therapies: We remain leaders in pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research by participating in the latest research trials. We have several in-house research trials open based on specific tumor profiles

Choose Cook Children's Precision Medicine program

We invite you to give us a call and our care coordinators will help you take care of everything.

682-303-0432 Email us 682-885-2557 fax

Meet Medical Director of the Human Research Protection Program/IRB Chair Anish Ray, M.D.

Board certified in Pediatrics, Dr. Ray has extensive experience in Hematology and Oncology. He trained at a top cancer program and has participated in promising research efforts, including with natural killer cells. He has published more than 36 publications on pediatric cancers and their treatment.

In a sense, all patients are candidates for precision medicine. We are tailoring treatment to each individual patient. Our team is dedicated to identifying treatment options that are tailored precisely to your child's needs and each cancer's genetic composition. We want to ensure no family takes this journey alone.

Anish Ray, M.D.

Embracing collaboration at every step

We partner with families and physicians from Texas and across the region, offering two main routes to care:

Our team can assume total care of your patient at our medical center in Fort Worth.
We can provide remote services to patients with access to advanced testing in your area. Our remote services include reviewing test data, interpreting findings and providing written treatment recommendations based on molecular profiling.

Either way, our team remains in touch with you throughout the course of your patient’s treatment. Our in-house Precision Medicine team meets weekly to review test results and update each child’s comprehensive treatment plan.

We are here to provide support and answer questions even after your patient returns home or ends remote services. We are always a phone call away if you need us.

Partnering with you and the families you serve

Parents know their child best. We encourage them to be active members of our care team to help find what works most effectively. Parents are welcome to join our weekly meetings for progress updates and to frequently engage with us about the path forward. We seek to preserve family normalcy, so parents can still go to work and children can still enjoy childhood.

Innovations for individualized cancer care

At Cook Children’s, we are evolving the standard of care for pediatric cancer treatment. Through the early adoption of innovative tests and treatments, our approach has become increasingly personalized.

Promising advancements in pediatric oncology treatments

Hear how Cook Children’s Precision Medicine team is unlocking the mysteries of pediatric cancer treatment. In this Doc Talk podcast episode, Dr. Anish Ray, Dr. Kelly Vallance, and Dr. Heidi Trinkman take us on a journey through research, oncology, and pharmacology and their impact on pediatric precision medicine.

Advanced testing

We are working to better understand pediatric cancers using the most advanced testing available. We take a sophisticated approach to identifying, treating and monitoring pediatric cancer, using:

Next-generation sequencing (NGS): Using the latest genomic panels, we identify potential targeted therapies based on a cancer’s unique makeup. We are now sequencing all solid tumors and some blood cancers, at multiple points in the patient journey. Doing so helps us not only pinpoint initial, targetable variants, but also those that may develop over disease progression and treatment.
Molecular profiling: We can learn how malignant cells may respond to treatment using molecular profiling to identify critical proteins. Gaining a greater understanding of tumor sensitivity and resistance helps us better navigate treatment for each child.
Testing for genetic disorders: When patients have multiple tumors or tumors with particular variants, we turn to genetic testing to identify genetic predisposition syndromes. Finding that a patient inherited a syndrome can influence therapy choices, affect post-treatment surveillance schedules and identify the need for sibling testing. Genetic testing and counseling services are available through our Genetic Oncology clinic.
Detecting circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA): We are early adopters of testing that can identify cancer-related DNA released into the blood. These liquid biopsies can help track treatment response and disease progression. They may also detect relapses and recurrences of solid tumors and lymphomas sooner — possible even before imaging — for improved survival.

Targeted therapy for pediatric cancer

By profiling tumors and blood cancers, we can directly target the molecular and cellular processes cancers need to survive and grow. This advance moves beyond reliance on cancer type or site, opening new avenues for patients and avoiding conventional therapy toxicity. It can provide a particular benefit for rare cancers with few other options and aggressive cancers that have relapsed or recurred.

Our team has the experience to safely administer a range of FDA-approved drugs and to go off-label when warranted. We also participate in a range of promising clinical trials. We may add targeted therapy to a traditional treatment regimen or recommend it as standalone therapy.

Cancer treatment refined with pharmacogenomics

Our clinical pharmacists have the expertise and resources to use pharmacogenomics, assessing how individual patient genetics can affect responses to certain drugs. Doing so helps us further tailor medication regimens for safety and efficacy — particularly critical for children and teens.

We use pharmacogenomic interpretation for some chemotherapies, as well as for many supportive medications and newer therapies. It is also available for a number of other specialty areas across Cook Children’s.

Leading the way with advanced research

Cook Children’s stays on the leading-edge of pediatric cancer treatment. We offer clinical research trials and have a dedicated research pharmacy department. When conventional therapies have failed, we look to our research pharmacists to help identify possible research interventions.

For one national study, our Precision Medicine team is analyzing more than 140 genes in refractory or recurrent solid tumors. Participants may then receive one or more targeted therapies aimed at specific genetic variants. Learn more about the Pediatric MATCH Clinical Trial.

Designations and recognition

When you refer a patient to Cook Children’s for precision medicine, you can trust that you're choosing a team with the expertise, resources and commitment to provide the best care possible.

US News & World Report evaluates hospital performance in both complex and routine care for pediatric specialties. Cook Children's is named among the ‘Best’ making the US News and World Report 2023-24 "America's Best Children's Hospitals" rankings for excellence in cancer care.

Magnet® designation

The Magnet® designation is considered the international gold standard of nursing excellence. Cook Children's Medical Center is the first pediatric hospital in North Texas, and the 10th in the world, to receive this prestigious designation four consecutive times.

The Leapfrog Group

Cook Children's is recognized as a Top Children's Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group. This award highlights our widely recognized achievements in patient safety and quality.

Connecting with us

At Cook Children's, we respond to patient referrals quickly and efficiently. We understand the critical needs of your patients. Our Precision Medicine team will work directly with you and your patient’s family.

Call us at for a consultation or to refer a patient. We’re ready to help schedule an appointment or assist with insurance approvals.

If you are a new referring physician, please contact our offices at 682-885-4007.

Coming from outside of Texas?

Our team in Global Health Services supports families who travel to Cook Children’s for medical care from across the country and around the world.

Our concierge service is here to help with every detail. We work with families to:

Schedule appointments
Plan travel
Find accommodations
Offer financial counseling and insurance approvals
Arrange translation services

Please contact our Global Health Services care coordinator if you need help with out-of-state or international referrals.

Choose Cook Children's Precision Medicine program

We invite you to give us a call and our care coordinators will help you take care of everything.

682-303-0432 Email us 682-885-2557 fax