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.

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 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.
For more information, call us at 1-202-476-2151.

Applicable Conditions Children's Team Our Stories Departments

Applicable Conditions

Bone Tumors

Children’s National Hospital has a team of individuals who are highly skilled and experienced in the treatment of bone tumors, including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. Learn more about these conditions.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is cancer in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system and functions to fight disease and infections. Learn more about its causes and treatments.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the nasal cavity and the pharynx, the upper part of the throat behind the nose. Learn more about its causes and treatments.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma is a type of cancer that grows in soft tissues that support and connect parts of the body.

Germ Cell Tumors

Germ cell tumors are tumors that are comprised mostly of germ cells. Germ cells are the cells that develop and become the cells that make up the reproductive system. Learn more about this condition.

Rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that starts in the cells that develop into skeletal muscle cells. Learn more about this condition and the treatments we offer.

Brain Tumors

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain or spinal cord. Learn more about this condition.

Neuroblastoma

Pediatric neuroblastoma is a cancerous tumor that begins in nerve tissue of infants and very young children.

Leukemia

Leukemia is cancer of the blood. It's the most common kind of cancer in children. Learn more about this condition and the treatments we offer.

Children's Team

Providers

Jeffrey Dome

Senior Vice President, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Division Chief, Oncology

Robert Henshaw

Director, Orthopaedic Oncology
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Specialist

Our Stories

Brayden's Story

From the outside, Brayden Schofield seems like a regular six-year-old boy who loves sharks, snakes, and playing with his little brother. But what most people don’t know is that Brayden’s life – and left arm – was saved by a rare bone tumor surgery performed by a team of doctors at Children’s National Hospital.

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Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program

The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program at Children’s National is among the largest and most comprehensive pediatric sickle cell disease programs in the country.

Oncology

Our oncology (cancer) team provides personalized treatment plans for children with cancer, including access to clinical trials.

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Pediatric Cancer Surgery

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Pediatric Cancer Surgery at Children’s National Hospital

Surgery to Diagnose Cancer in Children

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