Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinical Affairs

As the largest pediatric cancer and blood disorders program in North Texas and one of the largest in the United States, each year physicians in the Division provide care for 300 to 400 children with newly diagnosed cancer and close to 1,000 children with newly diagnosed blood disorders. Care is primarily provided in the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) at Children's Medical Centers in Dallas and Plano, internationally known as a center of excellence in patient care, education, research, and patient advocacy. The Division continues to expand its geographic footprint by increasing the scope and scale of clinical care provided in Plano and other suburban sites.

The Division further increases its regional outreach by providing educational and consultative resources for primary and referring physicians in the region. Recognizing the rising demand for hematology and oncology care in the expanding Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the Division is actively engaged in programmatic expansion efforts to ensure that it can effectively meet the growing needs of children requiring these specialized services.

Organized into three subdivisions – Oncology, Hematology, and Cellular and ImmunoTherapeutics Program (CITP) – our hematology and oncology providers have helped set national standards for specialty pediatric care in each domain:

Oncology

The oncology service at the Gill Center is one of the nation's premier programs for children with malignant disorders. Given the program's exceptional treatment results, the Center holds a leadership position in the National Institutes of Health-sponsored international consortium called the Children's Oncology Group (COG).

The Division also benefits from its collaborative partnership with UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas.

The Gill Center offers a full array of the latest diagnostic capabilities and therapies available. Clinical programs include:

• Brain Tumor Treatment Program

  Brain Tumor Treatment Program

  Our physicians use a range of advanced approaches to create customized treatment plans for each child, including:

  • Next-generation sequencing to identify therapeutic targets
  • The most advanced chemotherapy drugs
  • Highly precise radiation therapy to stop tumors from growing
  • Expert neurosurgeons highly specialized in surgical removal of brain tumors
• Musculoskeletal Tumor Program

  Musculoskeletal Tumor Program

  UT Southwestern/Children's Health provides a multidisciplinary team to deliver state-of-the-art care to children with benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors and constantly strives to advance care. An example of innovation is the team's use of a 3D tumor model that incorporates the use of AI to better understand tumors and create more effective treatment pathways. Our program also utilizes genetic testing, through UTSW's Precision Medicine Program, to identify genetic mutations that can be targeted with medications, providing a more effective treatment with decreased side effects.

• Pediatric Blood Cancer Program – Leukemia and Lymphoma

  Pediatric Blood Cancer Program – Leukemia and Lymphoma

  Patients with pediatric blood cancer treated at UT Southwestern and Children's Health have access to the latest treatments, information, and support from all over the world through the institute's relationship with the Children's Oncology Group (COG), as well as its participation in Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma (TACL) consortium, and leadership in developing the latest CAR T-cell therapy for eligible children with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

• Pediatric Solid Tumor Program

  Pediatric Solid Tumor Program

  Our solid tumor team, consisting of oncologists, radiation oncologists, pediatric surgeons, and pediatric transplant surgeons, treats every type of solid tumor. Notably, UTSW/Children's Health is one of only 20 centers in the U.S. offering MIBG, a form of radiation therapy effective in children with neuroblastoma.

• Cancer Susceptibility Program

  Cancer Susceptibility Program

  The only pediatric cancer susceptibility program of its kind in North Texas, we provide families of children with genetic predispositions to cancer with access to the most advanced genetic counseling, ongoing screening, and oncology specialists. This includes the largest pediatric neurofibromatosis program in North Texas, the only regional program affiliated with the Children's Tumor Foundation, and the only site in Texas that is a member of the Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trials Consortium (NFCTC).

• Cancer Survivorship Program – The After Cancer Experience (ACE) Program

  Cancer Survivorship Program – The After Cancer Experience (ACE) Program

  ACE at UT Southwestern/Children's Health is the first and largest pediatric cancer survivor program in North Texas. Our nationally recognized program is unique among survivorship programs in that it bridges medical care from childhood through adult life within a single medical system, providing patients with resources for their unique medical and psychological needs following cancer therapy. To support advancement of survivorship programs nationally, the ACE Program is a founding member of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), the leading consortium in late effects research.

• Developmental Therapeutics

  Developmental Therapeutics

  The specialists and subspecialists in this program are distinguished in the region and recognized internationally for providing emerging therapies for a range of childhood cancers that resist treatment or have returned. The Developmental Therapeutics Program is one of the few cancer programs nationally that enrolls patients in early phase I and II clinical trials.

Hematology

The Gill Center brings together one of the largest dedicated pediatric hematology medical staffs in the country, equipped with the latest diagnostic capabilities and therapies available for children with nonmalignant blood and bone marrow disorders. Over 1,200 new patients are evaluated each year by experienced hematologists at our Dallas and Plano campuses. The hematology program at UT Southwestern/Children's Health participates in National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trials, networks in hemostasis, transfusion medicine, and thalassemia.

• Sickle Cell Program

  Sickle Cell Program

  Since its launch, the Sickle Cell Program has spearheaded a comprehensive set of diagnostic and treatment approaches used widely today. The program currently cares for more than 900 children with sickle cell disease each year. To continue the advancement of sickle cell treatment, UTSW serves as a founding member of the sickle cell clinical trials network that brings new treatment options to people suffering from this life-shortening red blood cell disorder. Our program is also a qualified treatment center for both FDA-approved sickle cell gene therapy products.

• Bleeding Disorders Program

  Bleeding Disorders Program

  The bleeding disorders program is one of only 130 centers in the United States, and five in Texas, with a comprehensive hemophilia treatment center (HTC) and 340B program. From genetic counseling and early diagnosis through ongoing education programs, the team works closely with family, schools, and other medical and dental care providers to prevent and treat bleeding episodes. The Thrombosis Program is a high-volume program that manages over 150 new patients with venous and arterial thromboses and includes thrombosis follow-up as well as a comprehensive stroke clinic.

• Bone Marrow Failure Program

  Bone Marrow Failure Program

  The hematologists/oncologists comprising the Bone Marrow Failure Program treat a group of rare and complex inherited or acquired disorders and rely on a panel of subspecialists, including otolaryngologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, cardiologists, and others. The program at the Gill Center provides unsurpassed breadth and depth of expertise to these children in need of comprehensive care.

  Approximately 100 patients are cared for by the program, with referrals coming from across Texas and surrounding states. The program regularly partners with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and North American Pediatric Aplastic Anemia Consortium (NAPAAC) to provide access to clinical trials and cutting-edge therapies. Our patients are well represented in their respective inherited bone marrow failure disorder registries, including but not limited to the International Fanconi Anemia Registry, the Diamond-Blackfan Anemia Registry, and the Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Registry.

• Young Women's Blood Disorders Program

  Young Women's Blood Disorders Program

  UTSW/Children's Health is distinct as the only program in North Texas that brings together specialists in reproductive health and blood disorders to help young women overcome menstrual and related problems. Each year, the team of top specialists in reproductive health and bleeding disorders helps hundreds of women address these issues and stop their periods from getting in the way of life.

Cellular and ImmunoTherapeutics Program (CITP)

CITP encompasses a wide range of cellular and immunotherapy therapeutic approaches:

• Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

  Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

  UT Southwestern is the only academic medical center in North Texas that offers stem cell transplantation to children with a variety of malignant and nonmalignant disorders. The Stem Cell Transplant and CAR-T Programs are FACT (Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy) accredited, providing care within the Stem Cell Transplant Unit featuring state-of-the-art equipment.

• Pediatric CAR T-Cell Therapy Program

  Pediatric CAR T-Cell Therapy Program

  UT Southwestern is a worldwide leader in bringing groundbreaking CAR T-cell therapy to children with leukemia and other cancers. UTSW played a pivotal role in the clinical trials that led to FDA approval of a CAR T-cell therapy for ALL called KYMRIAH™ and has guided more children through KYMRIAH treatment than almost any other center in the world, with over 100 patients since 2015. The UT Southwestern Pediatric Group physicians practicing in the Gill Center are also at the forefront of developing CAR T-cell therapies for other cancers in children.

• Ex Vivo Gene Therapy

  Ex Vivo Gene Therapy

  UT Southwestern is a qualified treatment center for ex vivo gene therapy (for beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease) for both the Genetix Biotherapeutics and Vertex products. Of note, we are one of five qualified treatment centers for the Genetix cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy gene therapy.