Tulane Cancer Center
Tulane Medical School Department of Pediatrics
Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Program Description
Faculty and Staff
Clinical Trial Protocols
Pediatric Tumor Board
SMILE Program
Links to other pediatric websites
Contact us
See also: Department of Medicine: Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology
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Program Description
The Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology addresses both the physical and the emotional needs that arise when cancer strikes a youngster. The staff includes pediatric oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, neuro-radiologists, neuro-surgeons, orthopedists, urologists, otolaryngologists, and ophthalmologists. Pediatric social workers help families cope with diagnosis and treatment, and support groups help educate families. There are three full-time nurses who specialize in childhood cancer and work full time with our pediatric cancer patients. Our pain relief specialists seek to relieve or manage the pain of procedures as well as pain caused by disease. Child life specialists help the children with a variety of play-therapy techniques.

Tulane Hospital For Children
Children who require hospitalization are admitted to Tulane Hospital for Children, a pediatric hospital within Tulane University Hospital, with 85 beds, neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, and more than 100 pediatricians and pediatric surgeons. Tulane Hospital for Children has active organ and stem cell transplant, and is a regional referral center for children with retinoblastoma; hemophilia; sickle cell disease; growth disorders; genetic disorders; and pulmonary, kidney, and cardiovascular diseases. Oncology inpatients are treated on the general pediatric floor in single or double rooms. Two HEPA filtered rooms are available on the pediatric unit, and sever laminar air flow rooms are available in the adjacent bone marrow transplant unit.

A Team Approach
Tulane's pediatric oncology specialists form a team for the child with cancer. An important member of that team is the family. At every step of the treatment, procedures are explained to family members. Child life specialists use dolls to demonstrate to children, and use words youngsters can understand to describe their treatment. Adolescents are given appropriate support that takes into account the effect cancer and cancer treatments can have on the lives of teenagers. When possible we provide home care delivery of medicines, chemotherapy, and other support. When youngsters have to be hospitalized we have certified teachers to enable them to keep up with their school work.
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Faculty
Charles Scher, M.D.
Director of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Professor of Pediatrics
cscher@tulane.edu
Biographical information and selected publications


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The SMILE Program
The SMILE program encourages first and second year medical students to become "Big Buddies" to our pediatric cancer patients and their brothers and sisters. The program was initiated and is managed by medical students with the advice and help of the medical staff. It is to date the only program of its kind in the USA and is funded by the American Cancer Society. First and second year medical students are encouraged to participate and about 50-80 do so. The medical students see the patients when the children come to clinic or are hospitalized. They become friends with the child and the family. They do not act as doctors. Parties are held for the children within the clinic and outside the hospital at amusement parks and sporting events. The medical students benefit because they see the effect of childhood cancer on the child and the family. The children benefit because they have a new friend who is fun and who helps them when they visit the hospital. The children's parents highly value the interactions.

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Links
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org
1599 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
(800) ACS-2345
E-mail: webmaster@cancer.org
New Orleans chapter: (504) 522-0851, 925 Common St.
Programs offered by ACS include: CanSurmount (emotional support), I Can Cope (public education), International Association of Laryngectomees, Look Good/Feel Better, Man to Man (prostate cancer prevention), Reach to Recovery, "Resoures, Information & Guidance", Road to Recovery.
American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPH/O)
http://www.aspho.org
4700 W. Lake, Glenview, Illinois 60025-1485
(847) 375-4716, (847) 375-6316 fax
webmaster@aspho.org
Publisher of The Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
American Board of Pediatrics
http://www.abp.org
111 Silver Cedar Court, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 929-0461, (919) 929-9255 fax
abpeds@abpeds.org
FAQ, verification of certification, Pediatric Diplomates newsletter, links
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
formerly the Leukemia Society of America
http://www.leukemia.org
(800) 955-4572
irc_lls@hotmail.com
Publications, grants, advocacy, local chapters, etc.
Children's Oncology Group (COG)
http://www.childrensoncologygroup.org/
Children's National Medical Center - D.C., Dept of Pediatric Hem-Onc
111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010-2970
(312) 482-9944, (312) 482-9460 fax
Clinical research trials
Ronald McDonald House
http://www.rmhc.com/index.html
The Ronald McDonald Houses provide warm, friendly and low cost housing alternative in the area of major hospitals and medical research facilities for parents and siblings of patients receiving lifesaving treatment. The Ronald McDonald House of New Orleans is located at:
4403 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 486-6668
Children's Oncology Group
http://www.nccf.org/nccf/AboutCCG/COG_who.htm
Research arm of the National Childhood Cancer Foundation
National Childhood Cancer Foundation
http://www.nccf.org
440 E. Huntington Drive, Suite 300, P.O. Box 60012
Arcadia, CA 91066-6012
(800) 458-6223, fax (800) 723-2822
E-mail: nccf-info@nccf.org
Site includes a brief cancer info page, survivors' stories, legislative update, news page, and info on their research arm, the Children's Oncology Group.
See also Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation
http://www.candlelighters.org
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 460, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-3015
(301) 657-8401, (800) 366-2223, (301) 718-2686 fax
E-mail: info@candlelighters.org
Provides publications as well as support groups, a pen-pal program, and other patient & family support, and to families of children with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer, and professionals who work with them. Their advocacy program helps families and survivors resolve problems in the areas of employment, insurance, education, and military and government benefits.
See also National Childhood Cancer Foundation.
PEDINFO Online Publications
Pediatric and general medical journals and reference books; partially annotated; approximately 75 titles.
Links to Journals:
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This page is http://www.som.tulane.edu/cancer/pedonc.html
This page was last updated on February 28, 2008.
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Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
1430 Tulane Avenue, Box SL-37
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112-2699
(504) 988-5412, (504) 988-2557 fax
Referals line: (504) 988-5300, or toll free at (800) 588-5300