Why Choose Us for Cancer Treatment

US News Cancer badge Ranked one of the best in the nation

The Cancer Center is consistently ranked among the top 10 pediatric cancer centers in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. For 2023-2024, CHOP's Cancer Center has been ranked in the top 5 pediatric cancer programs in the nation.

To create the rankings, U.S. News surveyed pediatric specialists across the country about where they would send the sickest children for various conditions. They also asked the nation’s children’s hospitals to provide specific clinical data.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia earned high marks for our dedication and expertise across multiple specialties. At CHOP, your child will benefit from the quality of our treatment, superior nurse-patient ratios, higher survival rates, ongoing research, and much more.

Recognized leader

Children experience cancer differently than adults do and respond better when they're treated in a place dedicated to their unique needs.

The Cancer Center is a recognized leader in pediatric cancer treatment and research.

We have some of the top clinicians in the world, as well as leading researchers who are dedicated to studying the very cancers that we treat. This collaboration between oncologists and researchers allows us to fast forward advances in research and treatment to benefit our patients more quickly.

We also provide a level of support to families that is not always available in other centers. Together, more than 175 staff members specifically support oncology patients and have the resources to meet any need a family may have.

Cancer Center of Excellence

For these reasons and many more, CHOP is recognized as a Cancer Center of Excellence by OptumHealth (a subsidiary of United Health), Coventry, Interlink, and Cigna LifeSOURCE.

Only those cancer programs that have met OptumHealth's strict evaluation criteria are considered for inclusion in the Cancer Centers of Excellence network. Criteria include:

  • Multidisciplinary approach to healthcare
  • Program depth and breadth
  • Best practice medicine
  • Patient and family-oriented programs and services
  • High patient volume and surgical volume
  • Treatment planning and coordination
  • Positive working relationships with referring physicians and payers
  • Exceptional clinical research
  • Patient satisfaction survey results

Here are some other reasons to choose CHOP for your child's treatment:

Reputation

  • Some of the world's most renowned pediatric oncologists head the Cancer Center, and they have expertise in every area of childhood cancer.
  • We house the nation's first pediatric survivorship program, which monitors late effects and promotes health after cancer.
  • We are a leader in family-centered care and provide many amenities and avenues of support for families.

Expert staff

  • More than 70 pediatric oncologists and oncologic surgeons with expertise in every type of pediatric cancer
  • 27 oncology nurse practitioners
  • 77 oncology nurses
  • 11 social workers
  • 6 Ph.D.-trained psychologists and neuropsychologists
  • 14 child life specialists
  • 2 financial counselors
  • 3 intake coordinators

We also offer access to world renowned experts in many specialties to treat the side effects that children often have from cancer treatment.

Volumes

  • We treat more than 500 new patients and more than 4,000 previously treated patients each year.
  • We are one of the world's leading treatment centers for refractory neuroblastoma, the most common pediatric solid tumor outside of the brain.
  • Our Brain Tumor Program is one of the largest in the U.S. — we see more than 200 new patients each year.
  • Our pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program is one of the largest in the U.S., performing an average of 80 transplants per year.

Research and innovation

  • We are a Children's Oncology Group Phase I and Phase II institution, able to offer clinical trials for new treatments for childhood cancers.
  • The Center for Childhood Cancer Research conducts basic, translational and clinical research geared toward finding a cure for childhood cancer.
  • Our Center for Applied Genomics is one of the world's largest genotyping programs, identifying gene variations that may be associated with pediatric cancer.
  • We offer proton therapy in one of only a few proton therapy centers in the U.S. designed with children in mind, and facilitated by pediatric cancer specialists.
  • We offer unique programs for those genetically predisposed to cancer and those who wish to preserve their fertility.
  • We offer the only dedicated pediatric PET/CT scanner in the Northeastern U.S., a highly useful tool in detecting many cancers and measuring treatment responses.


Next Steps
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Get a Second Opinion

Our experts are here to review your child’s diagnosis and treatment plan, and work with primary oncologists as needed.