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The Sparrow Regional Children's Center provides many outpatient oncology services and all the inpatient oncology services needed to care for those under the age of 21 years with cancer.
These services are done in cooperation with the following physicians from Michigan State University (MSU), Department of Pediatrics and Human Development:
MSU and Sparrow Health System belong to an international cooperative group called Children's Oncology Group (COG). This group designs, implements, and monitors state-of-the art treatment plans and clinical trials. Affiliation with COG provides the medical team with immediate access to additional experts in childhood cancer throughout the United States and several foreign countries.
For more information about COG or cancer clinical trials for children, visit the Children's Oncology Group web site.
According to an article in Adolescent Health, 1997;21:366-373, "There is evidence of a significant survival advantage for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and other childhood tumors who are enrolled in treatment protocols at children's cancer centers (like the Sparrow Regional Children's Center/MSU program) compared with those treated outside of a pediatric cancer center.
The following types of cancer can be cared for at the Sparrow Regional Children's Center under the medical supervision of the board certified pediatric oncologists (cancer specialists for children) at MSU:
- Leukemia (less than or equal to 21 years of age)
- Neuroblastoma (less than or equal to 18 years of age)
- Wilm's Tumor (any age)
- Lymphoma (less than 21 years of age)
- Hodgkin's Disease (less than 21 years of age)
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma (less than 21 years of age)
- Rhabdomyosarcoma (less than 21 years of age)
- Ewing's Sarcoma (less than or equal to 30 years of age)
- Osteosarcoma (less than or equal to 30 years of age)
- Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET) (less than or equal to 30 years of age)
- Hepatoblastoma/Hepatocellular Carcinoma (less than 21 years of age)
- Germ Cell Tumor (less than or equal to 21 years of age)
- Brain Tumor (ependymoma, medulloblastoma, astrocytoma, PNET, or glioma) (less than 26 years of age)
The team for those experiencing childhood cancer includes: board certified pediatric oncologists from MSU, a master's prepared nurse practitioner with national certification in pediatric oncology, registered nurses with special training in chemotherapy, a pediatric psychologist, child life specialists, nutritionists, social workers, discharge planners, chaplains, a full pediatric rehabilitation team, and a compliment of nursing associates who have years of experience working with children of all ages.
The Sparrow Regional Children's Center includes a comprehensive pediatric intensive care unit and medical expertise of a pediatric radiologist, pediatric surgeons, and most other pediatric sub-specialists (such as cardiology, renal, pulmonary, gastroenterology, pain management and infectious disease). The Sparrow/MSU pediatric cancer team provides quality, family-centered, developmentally based care using a multidisciplinary team and state-of-the-art treatment based on national protocols.
Click here for more information on
Sparrow's Pediatric and Adolescent clinical trials.
Psychosocial support of the person with cancer and their family is an important part of cancer treatment, especially for children and teenagers. All care providers at the Sparrow Regional Children's Center take this support seriously.
- A strong emphasis is placed on patient and
family education.
- Help is provided in the management of pain and
anxiety.
- Contacts are made with schools including
special classroom and staff presentations, as well as, arranging for
home bound teachers and special testing when indicated.
- Special activities take place to provide
distraction, stimulate development and manage stress.
- Parents are encouraged to be a part of the care
and overnight sleeping cots are provided so that one parent can stay
with the child at all times.
- A Ronald McDonald House is across the street from the hospital for use by other members of the family, as respite for parents or the patient when services are being provided on an outpatient basis.
There is evidence that attitude can affect health and that a positive attitude results in better functioning of the immune system. The team at the Sparrow Regional Children's Center does their best to promote that positive attitude and to help patients and families through a difficult life experience. Ongoing relationships are established that often do not end with the completion of the medical treatment.
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