Comprehensive Care for Children with Leukemia and Lymphoma
For more than 40 years, Cincinnati Children’s has been a leader in caring for children with leukemia and lymphoma. Today, our Leukemia and Lymphoma Program is one of the nation’s largest and most technically advanced. Our experienced cancer specialists treat children and young adults who have been recently diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma, and those with high-risk, treatment-resistant or recurrent cancer.
Why Choose Us
Advanced Therapies for Treatment-Resistant Cancers
Cincinnati Children’s offers advanced immunotherapies for aggressive and treatment-resistant leukemias and lymphomas. These therapies work with a patient’s own immune system to stop or slow down the cancer, and sometimes lead to a cure. They are typically offered to patients whose cancer is recurrent or relapsed (comes back) or refractory (resists treatment).
One of the most exciting immunotherapies used to treat leukemia and lymphoma is called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T-cell) therapy. CAR T uses infection-fighting cells (T cells) in a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer cells. Cincinnati Children’s program is one of the most experienced in the US because we were one of the first pediatric hospitals to offer CAR T-cell therapy clinical trials.
Access to New Treatments Through Innovative Research
Cincinnati Children’s is one of the largest centers in the United States for pediatric and young adult anti-cancer drug research. As a research hospital, Cincinnati Children’s often has access to new treatments that may not be available at other institutions. Our physicians hold leadership positions in national research groups, such as the Children's Oncology Group, and bring this timely expertise to the care of our patients.
Research from Cincinnati Children’s directly led to the 2020 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the anti-leukemia drug, Vyxeos, for relapse and treatment-refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in children. The team continues to expand upon this initial research to find even more curative options for children with AML and other treatment-resistant pediatric blood cancers.
Advanced Imaging Techniques for More Accurate Diagnoses
High-tech imaging techniques include simultaneous diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. This technology helps our cancer specialists provide more detailed, accurate diagnoses and staging information. A PET scan is a nuclear imaging test that can sometimes detect cancerous tissues and cells that other imaging tests cannot.
Internationally Recognized Bone Marrow Transplant Program
Our bone marrow transplant team has performed more than 2,300 bone marrow transplants. The team helped develop transplant procedures that are now the standard of care in 240+ cancer centers throughout North America.
Advanced Genetic Testing
Patients with a high-risk or relapsed cancer undergo genetic testing. This helps the team identify potential therapeutic targets and match patients with the best available anti-cancer drugs.
Cutting-Edge Radiation Therapy
We offer proton therapy, one of the most precise and advanced forms of radiation therapy available in the world today. This specialized technology destroys cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues and organs. The Proton Therapy Center at Cincinnati Children’s is one of only a few centers in the US owned by a children’s hospital.
Well-being Support Services for the Whole Family
The Cancer and Blood Disease Institute’s Patient and Family Wellness Center supports the psychosocial needs of our patients and families in order to enhance their quality of life while involved with treatment. Services include social work, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, psychology, nutrition, school intervention, therapeutic massage, music therapy, art therapy, child life and more—all integrated into your child’s care plan.
Second Opinions for Patients with High-Risk Cancers
Cincinnati Children’s welcomes patients for second opinions about their cancers for children of all ages, including infants and adolescents, and young adults (up to age 39). Second opinions help you understand all of the available treatment options and help you make a more informed decision about which therapy is best. Many people seek out an initial second opinion to validate the treatments offered by their current care team. Others look for second opinions when a cancer hasn’t responded well to initial treatment or has returned after treatment.
Preserving Fertility for Patients’ Adult Years
As a global leader in fertility preservation, we work to protect a patient’s ability to have biological children later in life. Our Comprehensive Fertility Care and Preservation Program provides consultations to every patient. They have services and treatments to preserve fertility in all ages from infancy to adulthood.
Young Adult Cancer Program
Young adults (ages 15-39), who have been diagnosed with a pediatric cancer, have unique needs because they respond differently to cancer therapy than young children and older adults. They also have different physical side effects and emotional needs. Our leukemia and lymphoma team has the expertise to address these unique needs. The team is a part of our nationally recognized Young Adult Cancer Center, which focuses on treating and curing young adults diagnosed with a pediatric cancer.
