At Mayo Clinic, highly skilled specialists understand that pediatric cancer is a challenging journey. We offer support and expertise for every stage of the journey, from precise diagnoses, through cutting-edge treatments, to survivorship and beyond.
We address the unique needs of each child and their family through teamwork and collaboration with experts in child life and virtually every medical specialty. The result is comprehensive, coordinated care that simultaneously treats the disease while meeting the emotional needs of children and their families.
Mayo Clinic meets the National Cancer Institute's strict standards to be designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Board-certified pediatric cancer specialists treat all types of childhood cancer, including rare and complex conditions.
Pediatric cancer expertise
- Team approach with one-stop care. All the outpatient medical services your child needs, such as testing and assessments by different pediatric specialists, are available in one place at Mayo Clinic. This teamwork approach plus efficient scheduling means accurate and rapid assessment, timely start of treatment, and excellent follow-up care.
- Children's Center. At Mayo Clinic Children's Center, more than 260 physicians with pediatric specialty expertise offer integrated care in over 70 specialty programs and clinics to children and adolescents from all 50 states and more than 70 countries each year.
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Program. Our pediatric hematology and oncology doctors have depth of experience in diagnosing and treating various types of leukemias and lymphomas. They work closely with hematopathologists to comprehensively analyze samples, which ensures accurate diagnosis and enables us to tailor treatment to each individual patient. For people with cancers that recur or don't respond to initial treatment, we may offer immunotherapy, bone marrow transplant or one of an increasing number of clinical trials.
- Multidisciplinary Sarcoma Program. Mayo's multidisciplinary sarcoma program includes experts from pediatric oncology, orthopedic oncology, pediatric surgery and other surgical subspecialties, radiation oncology, and pathology. The team is experienced in treating children with complex sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma and works together from the time of initial consultation to determine the best course of care for your child.
- Neuro-oncology Clinic. Children with brain tumors benefit from the expertise of a team led by a pediatric neurologist specializing in brain tumors (neuro-oncologist), a pediatric oncologist and often a radiation oncologist and a pediatric neurosurgeon, among others. Pediatric expertise and experience matters — it can be a major factor affecting surgical outcomes.
- Proton beam therapy. Mayo Clinic's Proton Beam Therapy Program offers one of the most technologically advanced treatments to children with cancer who have complex tumors. This precise therapy improves control of radiation doses, avoids harm to healthy tissue and has fewer side effects than other forms of radiation. This precision also can help preserve current and future fertility in children with cancer.
- Cancer surgery. Comprehensive pediatric surgical care is provided for many types of cancer in children, including but not limited to cancer of the liver and kidney, as well as adrenal cancer, ovarian cancer, lung tumors and sarcomas.
- Bone Marrow Transplant Program. Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the U.S., serving children and adults. If your child needs a bone marrow transplant, an experienced team of pediatric experts from several specialties will develop a customized treatment plan and provide follow-up care.
- Noncancerous blood disorder treatments. For children who have blood disorders that are not cancer related, Mayo Clinic's Comprehensive Hemophilia and Inherited Bleeding Disorder Treatment Center provides expert, customized care, including prevention of complications. Healthcare teams are led by hematologists who collaborate with specialists in orthopedics, family medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and other areas as needed. Conditions treated by the center include:
- Hemoglobinopathies.
- Hemophilia.
- Immune and non-immune cytopenia.
- Inherited and acquired bone marrow failure.
- Irregular clot formation, also called thrombosis.
- Vascular conditions, such as vascular malformations.
- Von Willebrand disease.
- Other blood disorders that aren't cancer-related.
Social supports
Child life. The child life program consists of child life specialist, child life assistants, music therapist, a licensed schoolteacher and a facility dog (supporting the inpatient practice). The child life program is trained in child development, providing age-appropriate support to children and families during medical experiences. The Child Life Program helps minimize the stress and anxiety of the medical environment for children, teens and their families and maintain normal everyday experiences.
Psychology and behavioral health. Pediatric psychologists with expertise in chronic and acute medical conditions are available to help patients and families manage the demands of treatment using evidence-based interventions. Psychologists might help with things such as pain management, improved sleep or lifestyle changes recommended by the medical team. Additionally, they can help with any challenges related to behaviors, mood or worries that develop during the course of care.
Compass. Experts on the Compass team provide comprehensive supportive care to infants, children and teenagers with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. Care focuses on improving the quality of your child's life while minimizing both pain and distressing symptoms.
Social work. Social workers are an integral part of the interdisciplinary health care team. They are clinically trained and meet with you and your loved ones to offer supportive counseling, coping with the impact of a medical diagnosis and comprehensive assessment of needs. They can help identify or address barriers to care and connect families with supportive, educational and financial resources. Appointments can happen automatically and/or by request.
Fertility preservation. Because some cancer treatments can affect fertility, our team helps families understand fertility preservation options to ensure that long-term goals are considered and supported.
Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program. Our comprehensive Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program is tailored to meet the needs of people ages 15 to 39 who have been diagnosed with cancer. Our specialists understand that people in this age group encounter challenges extending beyond the medical aspect of care, including fertility concerns, relationship dynamics, school and work considerations, financial implications, and the profound emotional impact a cancer diagnosis can have.
Cancer survivorship clinics. Cancer survivorship clinics help cancer survivors live well after cancer treatment. A cancer survivorship clinic may help you manage physical and emotional changes you may experience after your cancer treatment. Mayo Clinic's services are designed to help you cope with post-treatment issues and adjust to your new life.
Chaplaincy. Hospital chaplains offer spiritual guidance and pastoral care to patients and their families. Chaplains support and encourage people of all religious faiths and are familiar with beliefs across many different cultures.
Mayo Clinic Model of Care
At the heart of our practice is the Mayo Clinic Model of Care. This set of principles has guided our organization since its earliest days and is what sets Mayo Clinic apart. Our primary focus is "the needs of the patient come first." That means unhurried exams in which caregivers have time to listen and a care team that cooperates across specialties.
The Mayo Clinic Model of Care ensures a comprehensive evaluation with timely, efficient assessment and appropriate, effective treatment. It also makes available the most advanced, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic technology and techniques.