Cancer Treatment and Fertility: Acting Now to Have Children Later

This post originally appeared on Notes, Boston Children’s Hospital’s Clinical Health Blog. With over 75 percent of children diagnosed with cancer surviving into adulthood, more and more parents ask questions about the quality of life survivors can expect in the future, including: Will my child be able to have children down the road? They’re right to … Read more

Young Neuroblastoma Patient and Family Make New Home at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s

Bridgette West sparkled last fall in the “Fight Song” music video created by patients at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. But before the 2-year-old became a social media standout with her dancing, she and her family faced challenges that went far beyond a cancer diagnosis. In the summer of 2015, after struggling for … Read more

How Genetics Can Help Predict — and Sometimes Stop — Childhood Cancers

Amy Kindstedt hates cancer, but the 9-year-old is very thankful for one thing: Because genetic testing on her baby brother Hunter revealed he had the same genetic mutation she did, his cancer was caught much earlier –  possibly sparing him the same level of intense treatment she endured. The mapping of the human genome has … Read more

For College Athlete-Turned Transplant Patient, Life’s Still a Ball

The first time a stem cell transplant recipient leaves his or her quarantined hospital room marks a significant milestone. In the case of Dana Mendes, this move toward independence included an additional step: chasing a ball through the hallways with a stick. For Mendes, 18, it was a return to what she loves. She had … Read more

In Precision Medicine, Pioneering Young Patient Teaches Veteran Doctor

Allison Schablein seems an unlikely candidate to teach medicine to Mark Kieran. She’s an 8–year-old New Hampshire second grader who loves basketball, hip hop, acrobatic dancing and jewelry. He’s a pediatric neuro-oncologist with a PhD in molecular biology, not to mention decades of clinical and research experience. But teach Kieran, Allison does. In December 2012, … Read more

How Can We Make Personalized Therapy for Childhood Cancer a Reality?

This blog post originally appeared on Vector, Boston Children’s Hospital’s science and clinical innovation blog. By Tom Ulrich For some pediatric cancers, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, older forms of therapy — and older ways of defining who receives which therapy — have served well over the last few decades. But that approach is no longer … Read more

One Year After Brain Tumor Surgery, 10-Year-Old Celebrates with Holiday Concert

A year ago, Aimee Fellows couldn’t imagine being back at Boston Children’s Hospital, awaiting the start of another violin concert featuring her daughter. Sophie, now 10 years old, is dressed this time in a frilly white blouse, black skirt and black dress shoes, her first pair of heels, albeit little more than an inch higher … Read more

Despite Difficult Stem Cell Transplant, Teen Remains Active

Drew D’Auteuil is a 17-year-old animal-loving, skiing, rowing, volleyball- playing, honor roll student with braces and a shock of red hair. Although he may seem like a typical teen, D’Auteuil has survived rare, life-threatening complications of a stem cell transplant for severe aplastic anemia. “It’s eye-opening to realize how fragile life really is when you’re … Read more

Five Things Female Childhood Cancer Survivors Should Know

By Lisa Diller, MD While recent research shows improvement in long-term survival rates for childhood cancer patients, challenges remain for many of the almost 400,000 survivors in the United States. Among the long-term survivors are women facing gynecological health issues from the late effects of their treatment. There are a number of health concerns women … Read more

Young Cancer Survivors Develop Lifelong Friendship

This post originally appeared on the Jimmy Fund Blog. In preparation for his first day of kindergarten, young Michael Sweetman visited his primary care physician. What they anticipated to be a routine checkup left Michael’s parents with more questions than answers. The very next day, the Sweetman’s visited Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, … Read more

Walking to Give ‘Hope for Nicholas’

Before Nicholas Cleary was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma, his mother, Lisa, and aunt, Nicole, often talked about participating in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai and had contributed to other Walk teams in the past. So when Nicholas was diagnosed at 22-months old, Nicole and Lisa knew right away they would … Read more

How to Help Your Child Stay in School During Cancer Treatment

For kindergartners through teenagers, it’s back-to-school time. And while this annual rite of passage is often met with groans, for children undergoing cancer treatment, this can be a welcome change – provided you properly prepare. “School serves as a normalizing experience for kids with cancer, because it’s what their peer group is doing,” says Lisa … Read more

Childhood Cancer and the Promise of Gene Therapy

At its most basic level, gene therapy is a powerful technique for correcting mistakes (called mutations) in DNA of human cells. Lately, the therapy has been gaining traction as a potentially life-saving treatment for children with an array of inherited rare blood and immune disorders, as well as certain cancers. Gene therapies are being carefully … Read more