Quality multidisciplinary care
The multidisciplinary staff of doctors, nurses, educators, and psycho-sociologists work as a team to provide pediatric patients personalized leading-edge care. Treatment spans the spectrum of settings, during clinic appointments, day hospital visits (which enable children to return home each afternoon/evening), and hospitalization for extended care.
With special focus on children’s quality of life, the Pediatric Hemato-oncology Department offers a child-friendly environment.
Broad range of diseases treated
The department treats the following types of conditions:
Acute and chronic leukemia
Cancer of the lymphatic system: Treating lymphoma such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Tumors of the kidneys, adrenal glands, testicles, and ovaries
Rare malignant pediatric tumors
Additional conditions treated:
Anemia of various causes: Nutritional deficits, blood cell damage, and chronic red blood cell diseases, such as spherocytosis, sickle cell anemia, and thalassemia
White blood cell conditions, including various neutropenic (low white blood cell count) conditions
Platelet disorders: The department has a wealth of expertise in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), the most common platelet disorder in children
Bone marrow failure syndromes
Diseases of excessive bleeding and thrombophilia – both heredity and congenital
Histiocytosis: The department has extensive experience in treating Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Treatments and tests performed by the department
Blood tests: In order to minimize wait times for blood counts, testing is performed on-site in the department and the results are received within minutes.
- Hematological investigations and diagnostics including bone marrow testing and spinal taps: These tests are performed pain-free with the help of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Dream Service (pediatric service that helps children undergo treatment and testing under sedation).
- Various blood and blood product transfusions
- Intravenous iron supplementation
- Immunotherapy treatments, including immunoglobulins, rituximab (Mabthera), and anti-D
- Chemotherapy administrations: The range of oral, peripheral intravenous, and central venous catheter administrations are performed according to national and international protocols
Pediatric bone marrow transplantations
The Pediatric Hemato-oncology Department performs a full array of bone marrow transplants (BMT) for children, sourced by self-donated (autologous) marrow, peripheral blood donations and donations from related or unrelated donors (allogeneic).
Self-donation transplants are performed for malignant conditions, such as recurrent lymphoma, metastasized bone cancers, high-risk neuroblastoma, and specific types of brain tumors.
Allogeneic BMTs treat malignant diseases, such as hematologic (blood) cancers and non-malignant diseases, such as congenital immunodeficiencies, metabolic disorders, and hereditary blood diseases
Pre-transplant care
The pediatric BMT service offers pre-transplant care, such as transplant-type decision-making and multidisciplinary testing to prepare the donor and the patient for the procedure.
Transplant accommodations
Transplants are performed in specially designed rooms to accommodate the unique needs of children and to protect the patient from life-threatening infections; rooms feature positive pressure and air filtration systems.
Departmental bone marrow transplant services offer essential medical expertise and complementary services to patients with complex health conditions.
Post-transplant care
Following the transplant, the patient returns home and remains under close, extended follow-up by the Post-BMT Clinic. During this recovery period, the patient is monitored for successful acceptance of the transplant, tracked for immune system recovery, and treated for potential complications.
The Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit is recognized by the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) as an international BMT center for bone marrow transplantation from familial as well as non-familial donors and for autologous transplant. The Pediatric BMT service is also authorized to publish research in international medical journals.
Pediatric sarcoma
The service diagnoses patients with sarcoma, and collaborates with the Pediatric Orthopedic Oncology Unit, Israel’s national center of excellence to treat children with the condition. A physician case manager is assigned to each patient for personalized guidance and oversight.
Complementary services
Patient's family members receive warm assistance in a supportive, comfortable environment by expert clinical, educational, and psychosocial staff.
All facilities are designed specifically for children, to make their stay more comfortable, with a play area, cozy seating corners, computers, games, videos, and other kid-friendly entertainment.
Many patients are treated at the Day Hospital, which enables them to return home daily in the afternoon. This approach helps preserve the child’s natural surroundings, promoting emotional health.
Medical units
