Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Program

Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital partner with patients and families to design individual treatment plans. In addition to an oncologist, our multidisciplinary team includes advanced practice providers, registered nurses, social workers, a psychologist, psychiatrist, neuropsychologist, nutritionist, and child life specialists, all who have expertise in the medical, social, emotional and educational needs of children and teens.

Our hematologists diagnose and treat infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with blood cancers including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid Leukemia, down syndrome associated leukemia, and Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The interdisciplinary team of physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and child life therapists provide individualized cancer therapies for pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies. These interventions include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and cellular therapy, as well as supportive care strategies.

The pediatric Solid Tumor Program offers comprehensive care to children with a wide variety of tumors, including bone and soft-tissue sarcomas, liver and kidney tumors, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, and other rare tumors. The program brings together pediatric oncologists, pediatric surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and supportive-care specialists to coordinate an individualized treatment plan. Long-term follow-up is provided to monitor for late effects and support healthy development after treatment.

The Neuro-Oncology Clinic advances the effective treatment of brain tumors, which are among the most common type of childhood malignancy. Our clinic is the only one of its kind in Connecticut and includes a collaboration of specialists in pediatric oncology, neurosurgery, neurology, endocrinology, and radiation oncology who work alongside experienced psychosocial practitioners to provide truly multidisciplinary care. We ensure that your child receives a comprehensive approach to their medical needs and overall well-being.

The Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program cares for pediatric patients in need of bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cell, and cord blood transplants. Our highly trained medical team understands the application of research-based therapies, and cares for the unique needs of children and adolescents undergoing bone marrow transplantation. In addition to physicians and nurse practitioners, our team includes a transplant coordinator, social worker, care coordinator, nutritionist, pharmacist, child life specialist, radiation oncologists, psychiatrist, and physical therapist.

Infusion services are available for treatment or diagnostic needs closer to home. This includes chemotherapy, blood products, medication infusions, and more. The infusion centers offer a comfortable environment with an array of children’s amenities and activities during treatments. Spaces are equipped with recliner chairs, TVs, and computer or gaming devices. Child life specialists are available to support children and adolescents during their therapies through developmentally appropriate play, games, and crafts.

Our palliative care team provides an extra layer of support for children and teens, and their families, while living with a serious illness. They help with symptom management, guidance with medical decisions, and clear communication among patients, families, and the medical team. The goal is to support the best possible quality of life at any age and at any stage of illness, and palliative care can be provided alongside curative or disease-directed treatments.

Our interdisciplinary team includes a physician, advanced practice provider, nurse coordinator/case manager, social worker, child life specialist, and spiritual care provider. We offer consultative services in both inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as home visits. Research is an important component of care, and our team leads cutting-edge palliative care studies focused on improving supportive and palliative care for children and adolescents with advanced cancer.

The HEROS (Health, Education, Research & Outcomes for Survivors of Childhood Cancer) Survivorship Program promotes the lifelong health of pediatric cancer patients after their cancer treatment has ended. It was the first childhood cancer survivorship program in Connecticut to offer comprehensive care for adults and children who had survived pediatric cancer. In our specialty clinic, patients receive detailed cancer treatment summaries and an individualized schedule for future screening for chronic conditions related to their original cancer treatment. Our multidisciplinary team that includes a pediatric oncologist, nurse practitioner, psychologist, registered dietician, and nurse educator are committed to caring for each patient as a whole person and empowering survivors to live their best life after cancer.

The Pediatric Sickle Cell Program is a comprehensive program dedicated to the care of children and adolescents living with sickle cell disease. Each year about 2,000 children are born with sickle cell disease in the United States and it is most common in African Americans.

Our physicians and nurses work together to deliver compassionate, patient-driven care for children and adolescents with sickle cell disease. Many patients experience chronic pain and have complex medical complications due to their sickle cell disease. In partnership with the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program, we offer bone marrow transplants to patients with sickle cell disease. Our goal is to cure sickle cell disease through transplant for patients who are experiencing severe disease-related complications.

Read more in our frequently asked questions.

The Pediatric CAR T-Cell Therapy Program offers an innovative immunotherapy treatment option to patients with certain blood cancers. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy reprograms a patient’s own T-cells to target tumor antigens. CAR T-cell therapy has shown complete remission rates of 80 to 90% in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 40% in patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas who have failed multiple prior lines of treatment.

The Yale Hemostasis and Hemophilia Program provides excellence in hemophilia care through a multidisciplinary approach, and is well established as a comprehensive treatment center for patients with bleeding disorders. An active thrombophilia clinical program has also been developed. The program follows patients with serious inherited coagulation disorders, individuals with von Willebrand disease, and those with qualitative platelet disorders. The program is one of eight comprehensive hemophilia treatment centers in New England.

We participate in the CDC’s national hemophilia clinical research study—the universal data collection study that tracks longitudinal complications and quality of life in individuals with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.

The Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Program seeks to improve quality of life and outcomes for AYAs affected by cancer through programming and educational services, forging social connections with other AYAs, providing access to age-appropriate clinical trials, and promoting awareness of AYA cancer. Patients receive coordinated care, including fertility counseling, education, insurance, and social and emotional support.

Understanding that children and adolescents with cancer and blood disorders need more than medical care, we work with patients and their families to help them meet their social, emotional, educational, and behavioral needs. Our support services include:

• Routine psychosocial evaluations for newly diagnosed patients and their families.
  
• Home visits for the most gravely ill or psychiatrically symptomatic patients and their families.
  
• A school integration program that includes counseling for families and children about their rights to have special services. We work with school districts to make appropriate accommodations for students returning to school, including providing special education services, if necessary.
  
• Psychoeducation and neuropsychological testing for patients at risk for neurocognitive problems.
  
• Support groups for siblings and parents.
  
• End-of-life support team for children and families.
  
• Partnerships with organizations including LivFree, Make-a-Wish, Tommy Fund, and camps like Hole in the Wall and Camp Rising Sun to provide opportunities that enhance quality of life.