Pediatric Chemotherapy

For some people, the word "chemotherapy" can cause nearly as much fear as the word "cancer." But it is important to realize that chemotherapy has come a long way in recent years. Today, doctors have more medicines in their arsenal to destroy cancer cells and new approaches for combining treatments to make them more effective and less disruptive.

The cancer team at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital is internationally recognized for expertise in designing effective cancer treatment plans and developing clinical trials of new drugs. In fact, UChicago Medicine is designated by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center and offers more clinical trials than any other hospital in Illinois. That kind of experience can be essential in defining a chemotherapy treatment plan that has the best chance of success.

The experienced oncologists at Comer Children's realize you may have a lot of questions about your child's chemotherapy. We can help you sort out the facts and recommend the safest, most effective approach for your child's particular kind of cancer. We can also offer new drug and combination treatments before they are available at many other hospitals, making the most promising treatments available to patients who feel they may have run out of options. We also offer support programs to help your child cope with chemotherapy side effects while he or she undergoes treatment.

Cancer patients come to us from across the country and around the world because we are experts at designing the best possible treatment plan. However, sometimes they choose to pursue all or some of their chemotherapy closer to home. UChicago Medicine physicians can assist with coordinating chemotherapy at other hospitals, ensuring continuity of care.