What Do Pediatric Oncologists Do?

Pediatric hematologists/oncologists diagnose, treat, and manage children and teens with the following: Cancers including leukemias, lymphomas, brain tumors, bone tumors, and solid tumors. Diseases of blood cells including disorders of white cells, red cells, and platelets.

Does a pediatric oncologist perform surgery?

According to the American Cancer Society, childhood cancers tend to respond better to certain treatments, such as chemotherapy. Because of this, a pediatric oncologist will most often use medications and chemotherapy to treat child cancer patients, instead of surgery or radiation therapy, commonly used to treat adults.

What age is pediatric oncology?

Pediatric cancer treatment is usually offered to children from birth to age 18 or 19, although some groups extend pediatric treatment to age 21. These cancer centers offer clinical trials run by the Children's Oncology Group (COG), which is supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).