Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the Pediatric Oncology Branch
At the Center for Cancer Research’s Pediatric Oncology Branch (POB), every day is pediatric cancer awareness day. It’s what we do. We realize that children and young adults with cancers and rare tumors greatly need effective therapies and psychosocial support.
In honor of our patients, their families, and caregivers, we will be talking a lot about childhood cancer research, treatment, prevention and survivorship in these pages and on social media during September.
We are proud to do the work that we do every day and are excited to tell our story in the weeks to come.
Brigitte C. Widemann, M.D.
Acting Chief
Pediatric Oncology Branch
Did You Know?
Since the work that we do at the Pediatric Oncology Branch is so encompassing and part of the world’s largest research hospital, we’ll also be introducing you to some of our people as well as some things that you might not know about us and pediatric cancer research.
For example, did you know that right now, we are developing new treatment approaches not yet available as standard of care, like immunotherapy, molecularly-targeted therapy and new drug combinations? You can learn more here.
Who We Are
Via social media, you will also meet some of our very dedicated POB staff who work hard every single day to help our most precious patients. You’ll meet people from unpaid interns to senior researchers who have been studying ways to help prevent and treat childhood cancers for more than 30 years.
- Meet Melissa P., a student cancer researcher in our Pediatric Oncology Branch and pediatric cancer survivor who states that she is “…living proof that there are such happy moments, being able to give a child their future and their dreams back.”
- Phillip M., an 11 year-old patient who loves the “funny hats” that Jessie wears, one of the caring nurses who work in the Pediatric Oncology Branch.
- Our team of dedicated scientists, researchers and doctors who study rare diseases such as NF1 or neurofibromas.
- Our team of psychosocial experts who help develop materials especially for distressed family members such as parents, like our “Children With Cancer: a Guide for Parents.”