The Pediatric Surgical Oncology team at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides individualized treatment plans and family-centered care for each child needing surgery for cancer or tumors.
We use advanced surgical techniques and the latest technologies to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients. Our surgeons have trained at some of the nation’s leading cancer centers and are among the most experienced in pediatric cancer and tumor resection surgery.
Cancer and tumor removal surgery can be incredibly complex, sometimes with long periods of time between diagnosis, surgery, and other treatments. We work to help you understand your child’s condition and treatment plan and guide you and your family along your child’s cancer journey.
Types of cancers and tumors we treat include:
Germ Cell Tumors
Germ cell tumors start as germination or germ cells. They are the fetal reproductive cells that develop into testicles for males and ovaries in females. Germ cell cancers are rare, occurring in only 4% of all childhood cancers.
Learn more about germ cell tumors.
Kidney Tumors
There's a spectrum of childhood kidney tumors, but Wilms tumor is the most common. Kidney tumors are often not diagnosed until they become large enough to cause pain or swelling. Wilms tumor makes up about 8% of all childhood cancers.
Learn more about kidney tumors.
Liver Tumors
Although it’s unknown exactly how liver tumors develop in children, it’s believed they begin during the growth of liver cells. If a mutation or mistake occurs during the development of these cells, the cells begin to multiply at an abnormally fast rate, causing a tumor. Tumors originating in the liver account for 1% to 2% of all childhood cancers.
Learn more about liver tumors.
Mediastinal and Chest Wall Tumors
Mediastinal tumors occur in the chest cavity, which contains the heart, large blood vessels, trachea, thymus gland, and connective tissues between the lungs. Chest wall masses in infants and children may be secondary tumors or the result of other cancers that have spread.
Most mediastinal tumors are malignant (cancerous). Most chest wall tumors, which are generally rare in children, are benign (noncancerous). Primary mediastinal tumors include neuroblastomas and lymphomas. Lymphomas make up about 12% of all childhood cancers.
Learn more about mediastinal and chest wall tumors.
Neuroblastomas
Neuroblastomas are solid tumors that usually develop in the nerve tissue of the adrenal glands, located on top of each kidney. Tumors are sometimes also found in the pelvis, neck, or chest. Neuroblastomas are typically diagnosed in children under the age of 5 and make up approximately 6% to 9% of all childhood cancers. They are the most common solid tumors in infants under 1 year of age.
Learn more about neuroblastomas.
Pulmonary and Lung Metastases
Children with metastatic pulmonary or lung cancer have a disease that has spread from its original source to the breathing organs. In children, the lungs’ rich blood supply and the lymphatic system’s drainage into the lungs are attractive sites for cancer cells to metastasize or spread to.
Roughly 25% of children with solid tumors have metastatic disease at diagnosis, and another 20% will develop it later. The incidence of lung metastases varies depending on the primary cancer type.
Learn more about pulmonary and lung metastases.
Rare Tumors
Doctors at UPMC Children’s have extensive experience in the surgical treatment of rare childhood cancers. They use advanced technologies and surgical techniques to conduct complex cytoreductive surgeries and resections.
Soft-Tissue Sarcomas
Soft tissues connect, support, and surround body parts. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, fat, blood vessels, and nerves are all considered soft-tissue structures. Soft-tissue sarcomas are cancers that can be found anywhere in the body, but especially in the arms, legs, chest, and abdomen. Approximately 5% to 7% of all childhood cancers are sarcomas.
Learn more about soft-tissue sarcomas.
