Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
The Jack Martin Fund Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital at specializes in providing outstanding and comprehensive family-centered care to all pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with cancer and blood disorders. We diagnose and treat a wide variety of conditions and provide the most advance care for your child at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital’s Children’s Cancer Program.
We work hard toward achieving one simple goal:
To see our patients grow up and accomplish their dreams in life.
Our highly trained physicians are involved in clinical and translational research and are dedicated to bringing the most advanced and effective therapies to our patients. They lead a multi-disciplinary team that includes pediatric oncologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychologists, and child life specialists and work in close collaboration with pediatric surgery, orthopedic oncology, pediatric radiation oncology, pediatric pathology, and pediatric radiology teams.
The Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group, the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium, and the North American Consortium of Histiocytic Disorders.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment improve your child’s long-term survival and quality of life. We work closely with pathologists, radiologists, and radiation oncologists in diagnosing hematological and oncological conditions. This gives your child access to the most sophisticated radiological studies while limiting radiation exposure. In addition, we use the latest positron emission tomography and computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound.
For treatment, we use comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, brain tumors, rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms' tumor, and Ewing sarcoma. To achieve the best possible results, we use a combination of specialized nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation, and paramedical personnel, and access to increasingly sophisticated equipment and facilities.
When using radiation to treat your child’s cancer, our radiation oncologists take great care to spare normal tissue from the effects of radiation, using proton beam and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Our pathology department performs the newest molecular tests, including tumor sequencing.
Your Appointment
Generally, your primary care doctor will refer you to our practice. When you come for your first appointment, please remember to bring any medical records or test results from your doctor as well as your insurance card, your child’s social security number, and any other important medical documents. A member of our nursing staff will check your child’s vital signs and may draw a small blood sample. Blood tests in our clinic do not require fasting beforehand unless the doctor or nurse specifically tells you so. If you or your child feels anxious about having blood drawn, please let us know so that we can work with a child life specialist to help your child feel more comfortable. Sometimes we use a topical anesthetic near the vein, to numb the area.
We accept most forms of commercial insurance and Medicaid managed care plans. Our patient coordinators and social workers are very skilled and experienced in working with insurance companies to avoid unnecessary bills, and our social work team can help you locate any support programs that may be able to provide assistance. We collect co-payments at the time of visit.
Resources
At Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital, our Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy program includes the Child Life Zone, a therapeutic and educational play environment for pediatric patients and their families.
In addition to resources available here in the Mount Sinai Health System, there are a variety of outside organizations and programs available to help young cancer patients and families.
- American Cancer Society offers patient services and information on cancer research, prevention, detection, treatment, and advocacy.
- Believe in Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation provides programs that help to ease pain, reduce loneliness, and bring joy to children throughout treatment.
- Camp Sunshine offers a week-long retreat at a lakefront property in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
- CancerCare provides free support services to anyone affected by cancer. Services include counseling, education, financial assistance, and practical help.
- Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, founded in 1970 by parents of children with cancer, provides support, education, and advocacy for children/adolescents with cancer, cancer survivors, and their families.
- Childhood Leukemia Foundation offers services to provide emotional, financial, social, educational, and recovery support to children with cancer and their families.
- Children’s Oncology Group operates clinical trials focused on research and treatment of childhood and adolescent cancer.
- CureSearch unites the world's largest childhood cancer research organization, the Children's Oncology Group, and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation through their shared mission to cure childhood cancer and providing educational resources for parents, families, and children with cancer.
- Foundation for the Accreditation of the Cellular Therapy establishes standards for high quality medical and laboratory practice in cellular therapies. Co-founded by the International Society for Cellular Therapy and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation for the purposes of voluntary inspection and accreditation in the field of cellular therapy, the organization promotes high quality patient care and laboratory performance.
- Gilda’s Club, a national organization, provides support and networking groups, lectures, workshops, and social events for people of all ages with cancer and their families.
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is one of the largest organizations in the world dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education, and patient services.
- National Marrow Donor Program facilitates life-saving blood stem cell transplants for patients who do not have a donor in their family. It manages the world’s largest registry of volunteer stem cell donors and cord blood units.
- National Cancer Institute is the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training.
- The SAMFund assists young adult cancer survivors transitioning to post-treatment life by providing financial support through grants and scholarships.
- SuperSibs supports, honors, and recognizes brothers and sisters of children with cancer.