Pediatric Radiation Oncology

For children who need radiation treatment for cancer, Stony Brook Children's offers comprehensive and compassionate care backed by the most state-of-the-art facilities and technology.

Our focus is on delivering highly targeted radiation that limits exposure to normal tissue. As a participant in the Children's Oncology Group (COG), a prestigious national organization that sets the standard for children's cancer, we have access to the latest protocols. As an academic medical center, we are often the first in the area to have access to potentially life-saving clinical trials.

Our highly trained staff are at the heart of our program, as they're dedicated to helping children and families get through this challenging time with the best possible outcome.

Services

So much of pediatric radiation oncology depends on having the most advanced equipment and the staff to use it properly. Stony Brook Children's has both, making it a regional resource. In fact, many of the advances in radiation oncology are developed at Stony Brook University Medical Center in conjunction with the manufacturer.

Our experience and ongoing research not only give our patients unprecedented access to the latest technology but also ensure that by the time the equipment becomes mainstream, our physicians and technologists have already become familiar with it; in fact, often, they are the ones training other professionals in these areas.

With health care, good outcomes are associated with high volumes. That is, the more a physician or a hospital performs a procedure, the better and more efficient they become at it, offering the patient additional benefits. Stony Brook has some of the highest volumes in the region, which typically translates into better outcomes.

The technology at the core of Stony Brook's pediatric radiation oncology program includes:

• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
• RapidArc technology provides both IMRT and IGRT more rapidly, requiring children to be on the treatment table and hold still for a shorter period of time.

We also can provide radiation with sedation when children require it. We use a safe, fast-acting, deep sedation calibrated for the individual child that leaves the child with no memory of the procedure.

In addition, for children who need custom masks to keep them still for treatment, we have a very talented staff member who decorates them with the character of the child's choice. This can include Nemo, Darth Vadar, Cinderella, Ariel and many other favorites.