Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Service at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

View this article in (PDF) format.

Summer 2001

The pediatric neuro-oncology service at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center features a nationally recognized multidisciplinary team of providers who care for children with cancer, serving the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) region. Working with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, through its partnership with SCCA, Children's provides access to new research-based therapies and innovative treatments for children with brain or spinal cord tumors.

Background

According to the American Cancer Society, about 130 new childhood cancers are diagnosed each year for every 1 million children, and cancer is the second leading cause of death in children under 14, after trauma. Malignant brain and spinal cord tumors, the second most common cancer affecting children after leukemia, account for about 20 percent of all childhood cancers. Unfortunately, the morbidity and mortality rates of pediatric brain tumors exceed those of most other childhood cancers. Close to four children per 100,000 are diagnosed each year with brain tumors in the WWAMI region and Children's treats 60 to 80 new brain tumor patients annually. A quarter of the cases are medulloblastomas, fast-growing tumors that can be treated successfully with radical surgery followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

"In the late 1960s," says Dr. J. Russell Geyer, clinical director, Division of Hematology/Oncology at Children's, "the chance of survival was 30 percent. Now, because of the significant scientific advances made from research, which we have integrated into our institution, we've increased that rate of survival to 75 percent." Geyer is also an associate professor of pediatrics at the UW.

Leaders in Innovation

Children's was recently designated by the National Cancer Institute as one of nine academic research centers to become part of the national Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium. One of only two west of the Mississippi, Children's will share in the multi-million dollar funding of new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches to improve survival. The selection was due, in part, to Children's multi-disciplinary approach, vast experience, and innovation in treating children with cancer, and dedication to research.

Our multidisciplinary pediatric cancer team provides a unified approach to cancer care in dedicated inpatient and outpatient units and weekly clinics for brain and spinal cord tumor patients. The pediatric team includes: neuro-oncologists, pediatric neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, pediatric anesthesiologists, advanced practice nurses, staff nurses with special training in the care of children with cancer, nutritionists and diet technicians, occupational, physical and child life therapists, oncology pharmacists, social workers, educators, and other disciplines as needed. The child or adolescent and their family are the most important members of our team. We strive to promote as comprehensive an understanding as possible so that together we can make the best decisions for treatment.

Our patients are treated with the best therapies available, including the opportunity to participate in national or institutional clinical trials of innovative therapies, approved by the Institutional Review Board. "Hope is around the corner," says Dr. Richard G. Ellenbogen, chief, Division of Neurological Surgery at Children's and associate professor at UW. "We've assembled an incredible team, and we utilize the most advanced technology, all focused on providing unparalleled care for pediatric patients and their families. We are on the cutting edge in all facets of care, from pediatric neurosurgery techniques to chemotherapy protocols and radiation medicine delivery tools. In addition, we believe that successful treatment involves cure of the entire child or adolescent, recognizing that care means as full a return to the business of growing up as possible."

Adds Geyer, "Our cooperative approach, involving University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, as well as Children's own neuro-oncology team, maximizes the opportunities we have for advancing the care of children with brain tumors. We can call on basic research in the laboratory, evaluate novel therapies and use sophisticated equipment to search for a cure for childhood cancer."