Hematology and Oncology

Knowing that every child's life is sacred, it is the promise of Cook Children's to improve the health of every child in our region through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury. Because of this, each member of our team is dedicated to improving the health of all children affected by cancer and blood disorders through patient management and by continuing education for the patient, family and community. The Hematology & Oncology Center is comprised of board certified pediatric hematologists and oncologists, certified pediatric nurse practitioners in multiple sub-specialties that are involved in research including:

LACP (Life After Cancer Program). LACP is dedicated to our survivors of childhood cancer. Their expertise in management of the understanding of the complex needs of survivors helps to ensure that they are monitored and followed appropriately. Through collaboration with national survivorship groups, LACP enhances nationally representative survivorship research and provides survivors with a multidisciplinary partnership that develops and implements new strategies of support for survivors.
AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) Program. Adolescents and young adults with cancer represent a unique group of patients treated at Cook Children's Medical Center. Defined as individuals diagnosed with a malignancy between the age of 15 and 40 years, this patient group has physical, emotional and social challenges unlike those experienced in either younger or older age groups. The AYA Program narrows the gap in the healthcare needs of this distinctive group through enhanced enrollment in sponsored clinical trials, active engagement in collaborative groups and program-driven investigator-initiated research. The AYA Program has current interests in access to care, biology of sarcomas in AYA and developmentally appropriate psychosocial care.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Program is dedicated to the quality care of both patients and families of patients undergoing treatment for childhood leukemia and/or lymphoma. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Program at Cook Children's Medical Center is interested in a range of topics relating to the care provided to our patients. Some of the group's research interests include shortening time to diagnosis, the complexity of the side effects of cancer therapy, the outcomes of specified therapeutic agents as well as the long term effects following treatment for pediatric leukemia and lymphoma.
Neuroblastoma Program continues to strengthen the relationships between institution, industry and cooperative groups. Neuroblastoma is the most common type of extracranial solid tumor in children and can be one of the most aggressive forms of pediatric cancer. Effective treatment for this disease crosses multiple specialities including surgery, pathology, radiology, oncology and radiation oncology. The therapeutic options for this group of patients are growing as a result of clinical research and are now looking into targeted therapy. Some of our trials that use a type of "targeted radiation" is based on an I131 MIBG (metaiodobenzylguanidine) compound. This delivers radiation directly to cancer cells. Cook Children's is delighted to announce the construction of a leading-edge, patient and family centered MIBG facility expected in 2011. Additional types of targeted therapy include the use of retinoids, such as retinoic acid, small molecules or types of immunotherapy, which uses an antibody and the body's own immune system to fight the cancer. We have trials available for low-intermediate- and high-risk patients. Through clinical research, we have been privileged to participate and see advances made in the survival of high-risk patients using these targeted therapies.
Neuro-Oncology Program. Cancers of the central nervous system (CNS), comprised of the brain and spinal cord, are the most common solid tumors in children. As part of both the Neurosciences Program and Hematology and Oncology Center, this Program continues to enhance and expand numerous existing patient care delivery systems as well as provide team members new and exciting professional staff education endeavors while maintaining and implementing patient and family support programs. Collaborative research consists of cooperative group and consortia memberships as well as multiple institution and industrial relationships.
Hematology services at Cook Children's focus on the diagnosis, research and treatment of children and adolescents with non-malignant blood disorders. These disorders include many types of anemia, neutropenias and thrombocytopenias, thrombocytosis, bone marrow failure syndromes, hemoglobinopathies as well as inherited or acquired bleeding disorders. Cook Children's Hematology team also has specialized programs dedicated to the advancement of research for pediatric hemophilias, sickle cell disease, and stroke and thrombosis. Through partnerships with national and international organizations, new and exciting clinical research opportunities are increasing at Cook Children's as the field of hematology branches out in this direction.
Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation of Cook Children's is one of the national leaders in the use of transplant for genetic and metabolic disorders, as well as other non-malignant diseases. Since the program's inception in 1986, the Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant team has been actively involved in collaborative group and sponsored clinical trial research in order to better serve our patients, and to contribute to the working knowledge of patient care elsewhere. The team is also interested in in-house quality improvement and self-directed research efforts including determining the best candidate for bone marrow and stem cell transplant, benchmarking outcomes to those of academic and international transplant centers and understanding the social, emotional, and physical needs of the transplant patient population. We actively participate in clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, collaborative organizations, and other hospitals. Currently we are working with over 30 different companies, institutions and collaborative groups. Several of these include:
- American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network
- Baylor College of Medicine
- Children's Hospital Colorado
- Children's Oncology Group
- Eisai, Inc.
- Jubilant DraxImage Inc.
- Miltenyi
- National Marrow Donor Program
- New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy
- Spark Therapeutics
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- University of California San Francisco

For information on the sponsored trials, collaborative group efforts, quality improvement or investigator-initiated research currently involved in the Hematology Oncology Program please e-mail us at: CookChildrensResearch@cookchildrens.org Or call: 682-885-2103