How to Find the Best Cancer Treatment for Your Child

If your child has been diagnosed with cancer, finding the right cancer care is essential. Here are some tips on navigating the healthcare system.

Looking for a specialized children’s cancer center

Most children with cancer are treated at specialized children’s (pediatric) cancer centers. These centers are dedicated to cancer treatment for children, teens, and even young adults, from birth to age 25 or older, depending on the type of cancer. Going to a hospital that specializes in treating childhood cancer helps ensure that a child gets the best available cancer treatment.

These centers offer the most up-to-date treatment by doing clinical trials. Children’s cancer centers often have many clinical trials going on at any one time. In fact, most children treated at these centers take part in a clinical trial during their treatment.

Some smaller or more rural cancer centers partner with larger specialized centers to offer support, such as telemedicine visits or even clinical trials. There are also resources to support families that need to travel, if needed, to access cancer treatments. Talk to your child’s local cancer care team about how long treatments may last and how to contact resources that can help with travel.

What is the Children’s Oncology Group (COG)?

More than 220 children’s hospitals, universities, and cancer centers around the world are members of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). These institutions work together to combine resources, offer clinical trials, connect with other pediatric cancer experts, and find new treatments faster. The clinical trials and research done at COG centers have helped improve survival rates and find better treatments for pediatric cancer.

COG member institutions care for more than 80% of the children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Find a COG hospital or center by location.

Considering a clinical trial

Many children take part in a clinical trial as a part of their treatment. Each clinical trial has different goals.

• Therapeutic trials might offer new, advanced treatments or different doses or combinations of treatments.
• Non-therapeutic trials might help researchers learn more about a type of cancer, what causes it, or side effects of treatment.

Talk to the cancer care team to learn about possible clinical trials. You can also ask about the risks and benefits of enrolling in one.

If your child qualifies for a clinical trial, it’s up to you whether to enter (enroll) them in it. Older children, who can understand more, usually must also agree to take part in the clinical trial before their parents’ consent is accepted.

Benefits of clinical trials

Clinical trials offer cutting-edge treatments and closely monitor your child’s health. Your child will get either the most effective known treatment for their cancer or a treatment that researchers believe might work even better.

• Your child’s treatment plan and health will be carefully watched and documented.
• Your child’s cancer team can collaborate with other pediatric cancer experts around the world.
• Other children may be helped by the information learned from the clinical trial.

Possible risks of clinical trials

With any clinical trial, there are things to consider before deciding. Here are some potential risks of joining a clinical trial:

• Newer cancer treatments might have different or more serious side effects than the current best-known treatment. Not as much is known about newer treatments, so side effects might be less predictable.
• Many therapeutic clinical trials are randomized, meaning you cannot choose which treatment your child will get. However, all children in a clinical trial receive either the current standard treatment or the new, potentially more effective treatment.
• Your child might spend more time in the hospital or clinic getting their treatment or extra tests so doctors and health providers can watch them more closely.

Know before you decide

The decision to enroll in a clinical trial can be scary. Getting a second opinion from another cancer expert can help. If you do not choose to enroll your child in a clinical trial, they can still get the best current approved treatment.

Before a child can enroll in a clinical trial, someone will explain the treatment, risks, benefits, and other important details. If a child is under 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian will have to give informed consent for them to enroll in the clinical trial. Older children who can understand details of the clinical trial will also be asked for their assent, or agreement to participate.

Learn more about clinical trials.