Tumors of the Brain and Spinal Cord: Pediatric Neuro-Oncology

Important Change to Hospital Visitation Policy

Effective October 19, 2009, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital will no longer allow non-patient visitors or family members under the age of 16 years to visit in the hospital. This policy will be in effect during the height of the flu season, usually lasting until spring, and will be re-evaluated at that time. Learn more about the visitation policy change / Lea más acerca del cambio en las normas de visitas.

Location
725 Welch Road, 1st Floor
Palo Alto, CA 94304

Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm

Phone: (650) 725-1072
Return Patient Appointments: (650) 497-8953
Fax: (650) 497-8101

Overview

Brain tumors, or neurological complications of other cancers, often have profound implications for patients and their families. Caring for patients with neuro-oncological disease is a complex task that requires input from many specialists.

To meet these challenges, the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Program at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital has developed an interdisciplinary team to care for children with brain tumors, spinal cord tumors or other neuro-oncological diseases.

Patients are treated with appropriate conventional therapy as well as experimental therapies including:

Surgery, with stereotactic capabilities
Radiotherapy
Stereotactic radiosurgery
Chemotherapy

The neuro-oncology team is available to assist in any aspect of patient care.

Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board

Patients benefit from case review by the Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board. Ours is the only exclusive Pediatric Tumor Board in Northern California. The Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board is a multidisciplinary neuro-oncology team that meets weekly to review clinical cases and make recommendations concerning the type of therapy and other services most appropriate for each patient.

The team includes members from:

The program coordinates patient care with rehabilitation services, home care services, social services and hospice services as needed by individual patients. Patients are encouraged to participate in regional brain tumor support groups.

Clinical Trials

For information about clinical trials for children with cancer, please contact the Hematology/Oncology New Patient Coordinator at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at (650) 725-1072.