Referring a Patient to the Cancer Immunotherapy Program

The moment a child is referred to the Cancer Immunotherapy Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), whether by a physician or family member, our team kicks off the intake process. While this will vary from patient to patient depending on a number of factors, there is a general process and timeline you can expect to follow. We understand how critical it is to move quickly during this time, and work with urgency to get everyone involved the answers they need.

Here is what you can expect to happen after first contacting us.

Collect patient information

Whoever first contacts the Cancer Immunotherapy Program, whether by phone, email or our online inquiry form, will receive a "welcome" email within one business day. This email asks for specific information we need to start the intake process:

Medical summary
Demographics
Insurance information

All information we require can be emailed to us at oncointake@email.chop.edu.

If a family member makes the first contact with CHOP, we will ask for contact information of the child’s oncologist and work with them directly to collect this information as quickly as possible.

Evaluate child’s candidacy and notify referring physician

When all the information we’ve requested has been submitted to CHOP, it will be reviewed within two business days by a member of the Cancer Immunotherapy team. We will work with the child’s medical team regarding potential next steps. If your child/patient is not a candidate, the child’s medical team will be notified. If interested, we can refer the child to our Relapsed Leukemia and Lymphoma Program for further discussion.

Treatment planning and timeline

If the child is a candidate for a therapy provided by the Cancer Immunotherapy Program, investigational or otherwise, the remainder of the intake process and care planning will begin immediately. This includes:

Seeking insurance approval
Gathering information about the child’s current therapies
Scheduling T-cell collection, manufacture and treatment

The Cancer Immunotherapy team and the child’s medical team at home will be in constant contact, collaborating on care as current therapies may be ongoing.

Families and referring physicians of children who will be treated with immunotherapy have a single point of contact, Nurse Navigator Claire White, BSN, RN. Claire can be reached at 215-590-1754 or whitec3@email.chop.edu. Do not hesitate to reach out to her with any concerns, worries and questions.