Choosing a Hospital that Treats Childhood Cancer

Across the nation and around the world you will find hospitals that have oncology or cancer programs geared towards childhood cancer. Through research and trials, it is evident that the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer is different than treating the disease in adults. For this reason, it is imperative when seeking cancer care for your child that you do research and make sure that you are going to the hospital that is right for your child.

Some pediatric cancer programs might concentrate on one or two types of cancers and treatments whereas others, such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, treat all types of childhood cancers as well as doing research and clinical trials. Before you choose a hospital to treat your child’s disease, you need to make sure that you are going to a hospital that will give your child the best chance in the fight against cancer.

When researching children’s hospitals and oncology programs or cancer care, you should have a list of questions that are relevant to his/her cancer and ask each hospital the same questions for comparisons sake. Questions to include in your research are to ask about research, clinical trials, success rates, number of cancer patients they see each year, whether they have ever treated a child with your child’s type of cancer, which cancers they specialize in, if they offer support groups and do they offer family-centered care which allows families to be a part of the treatment plan.

Since pediatric cancer care is different than cancer treatments for adults, many families opt to go to a children’s hospital for care. However, this is a very personal choice. Whether you choose cancer care at your hometown hospital or choose to travel and stay at a larger hospital, make sure that you are getting the best possible care for them that you can. Since you are their voice and their advocate, you have to do what you can to make sure that you are giving them the best opportunity to fight and beat childhood cancer.