Soon after your physician initiates a referral, a member of the Social Work Department will contact your family and assist with your initial visit to the Pediatric Oncology Branch. On the day of your initial visit, the social worker will orient you to the Outpatient and Inpatient areas of the Pediatric Oncology Branch.

You will also meet your primary nurse who will be working with you during your stay at the Pediatric Oncology Branch, and who will also be able to answer many of your questions regarding treatment.

A Pediatric Oncology Branch Medical Staff Fellow, a physician who is specializing in Pediatric Oncology, will then meet with you, learn more about your illness, and do a physical exam. The Medical Staff Fellow will the schedule any necessary diagnostic tests such as blood tests or CT scans.

You will then meet with the attending physician as well as the Senior Investigator who specializes in the type of cancer that you or your child has, to discuss treatment options available. If appropriate, you or your child will then enter onto a clinical protocol to begin treatment.

There may be times when you or your child requires hospitalization. The Pediatric Oncology Branch Inpatient Unit specializes in the care of children of all ages.

There will be many other people to help you during your stay at the Pediatric Oncology Branch, including recreational therapists, teachers, nutritionists, psychologists, and occupational and physical therapists.

For those times when you need to be near the Clinical Center but do not require hospitalization, you can stay at the Children's Inn located on the NIH campus next to Clinical Center.

Map of the NIH Campus

Last Updated: March 10, 2003

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