Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Program | Rady Children's Hospital

Overview

At age 12, Juliana Abraham was was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. Thanks to proton therapy, the tumor is now gone. Inspired by her journey, Juliana has a new dream. Watch her inspiring story.

Rady Children’s Multidisciplinary Neuro-Oncology Program is the only program in the San Diego region providing comprehensive care to children and young adults with brain and spinal cord tumors. We provide patient care for nearly 800 children with newly diagnosed or previously treated central nervous system tumors and are one of the largest programs in the United States.

The heart of our program lies in providing not only medical expertise but also compassionate support to families navigating the complexities of a Neuro-Oncology diagnosis.

Our expert multidisciplinary team includes physicians from Hematology-Oncology, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Radiology, Endocrinology/Diabetes, Rehabilitation Medicine, Ophthalmology, and Pathology.

State-of-the-art treatment is provided for both newly diagnosed and recurrent brain and spinal cord tumors. Advanced neurosurgery procedures, targeted radiation oncology and the latest biologic therapies are available to our patients through our alliance with the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and research collaborations with the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and The Scripps Research Institute.

Proton therapy for brain and spine tumors is available for potential patients at the California Protons Cancer Therapy Center.

Rady Children’s Hospital operates the only pencil-beam scanning proton beam in California and is the highest-volume pediatric radiation treatment center in the state. Patients who reside in San Diego and those referred from out of the area will be followed by our Neuro-Oncology team of health professionals during their treatment.

Genomic Medicine

Besides helping with brain and spinal cord tumors, our Neuro-Oncology Program has also partnered with Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine to assist in both the diagnosis and management of children with central nervous system tumors. This involves health professionals using the Institute’s rapid whole genome sequencing platform and other molecular profiling technologies to detect novel mutations and pathways involved in tumor growth. Through a multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Board, patients who meet various criteria to get treatment for brain and spinal cord tumors are recommended for advanced molecular testing.

Research and Clinical Trials

Through our alliance with the UC San Diego Moores Cancer and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and participation in collaborative clinical trials groups, we have an active Neuro-Oncology research program to discover better treatment options for brain and spinal cord tumors and ultimately, find cures. Click here for our active clinical trials.