Treatment

Pediatric Cancer Surgery

Surgery is one of the cornerstones of cancer treatments. The goal of surgical oncology is to physically remove as much of the tumor as safely possible. At Children’s National Hospital, our surgical oncologists have years of experience performing careful, precise surgery on children with a variety of cancers.

Pediatric Cancer Surgery at Children’s National Hospital

Our pediatric surgeons perform a high volume of surgeries every year. This translates into a superior level of experience and expertise for our team. Features of our surgical oncology program include:

Advanced technology. We use the most sophisticated surgical technology, including intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Intraoperative MRI gives the surgical team detailed images of the procedure during the surgery itself. This way, we can ensure the success of the surgery before we finish.
Minimally invasive surgery. When appropriate, we can use a minimally invasive approach, leading to less pain and a shorter recovery. No matter what type of surgical approach we use, however, you can feel confident that our team has a high level of expertise and experience. We always have your child’s best outcome in mind.
Collaborative care. Our cancer surgeons don’t work in a vacuum. Your child’s entire team works together to manage his or her condition and discuss next treatment steps. For example, if your child is also undergoing chemotherapy, the medical oncologist and surgeon will coordinate care so your child receives the most comprehensive treatment possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Surgery to Diagnose Cancer in Children

We may perform surgery during the diagnosis phase of your child’s care:

Surgery for diagnosis. A biopsy is a surgical procedure to confirm a diagnosis of cancer. We remove a small piece of the tumor and send it to our lab. There, expert pathologists with experience in childhood cancer analyze the tissue carefully to determine whether it is cancerous.
Staging. Sometimes, we may need to perform a procedure in order to stage the cancer. This allows us to determine how advanced the cancer is and if it has spread.

Surgery to Treat Cancer in Children

Surgery is one of the primary treatments for cancer. We may use surgery in a number of different ways to treat your child’s cancer:

Primary treatment. Sometimes, surgery may be the only treatment your child needs. This usually depends on the location of the tumor, the type of cancer and whether it has spread. Your child’s doctor may determine, based on testing, that surgery can effectively remove the tumor.
Before or after other treatments. Your child’s doctor may decide that surgery itself will not be sufficient treatment. In this case, we may perform surgery before chemotherapy or radiation, in order to shrink or debulk the tumor. This will make the other treatments more effective. We may also perform surgery after chemotherapy or radiation, to remove any remaining cancer cells.
Palliative surgery. We may use surgery to relieve symptoms and improve your child’s quality of life, even if the surgery cannot treat the cancer itself. If the tumor is pressing on a nerve or bone, causing pain, we can use surgery to relieve those symptoms.

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Patient Stories

Lifesaving Research for Mikaela
Mikaela is an energetic toddler who loves to run around with her older siblings. After a cancer diagnosis when she was 2, research at Children's National has helped make sure her disease doesn't come back.

Departments that Offer Cancer Surgery

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The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program provides specialized care and treatment for sickle cell disease in babies, children and adolescents. Learn more about this department.

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