Today Sammy C. is a healthy 15-year-old boy — a top varsity athlete who plays three sports. But only 18 months ago, his life was very different. Sammy was dealing with a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare and aggressive cancer, in the lower part of his colon. He and his family sought help from MSK Kids — the pediatric department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).
Sammy’s remarkable treatment and recovery are a result of the experienced MSK Kids medical team collaborating closely with the doctors who treat adult patients at MSK. In recognition of MSK’s expertise in treating young patients like Sammy, earlier this year the American College of Surgeons designated MSK the first-ever Level I Specialty Children’s Center in Oncology. This national honor means that MSK meets the highest-quality standards for surgical care in young patients.
“Regular children’s hospitals have expertise in many areas, but it’s not as deep as if you concentrate on one area,” says MSK Kids pediatric surgical oncologist Enrico Danzer, MD, one of Sammy’s doctors. “At MSK, our focus is solely on cancer, and that’s where some of the advantages come in. We have surgeons with expertise in particular organs, and we also have surgeons who specialize in pediatric surgery. When our teams work together, patients get the best of both worlds.”
Source: MSK Earns Top Distinction for Pediatric Cancer Care From American College of Surgeons
Most Commented