In treatment
In treatment
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Your child will receive treatment according to their individual plan. This may involve multiple hospital visits, outpatient appointments, and ongoing monitoring to manage side effects and assess treatment effectiveness. Keeping your child safe is the most important consideration when deciding where treatment can be delivered. Some treatments can only be delivered in Bristol.
The Bristol Royal Hospital for Children team work in close partnership with hospitals around the South West to deliver chemotherapy and follow up where possible as close to home ("shared care"). These hospitals are Gloucester Royal Hospital, Royal United Hospital Bath, Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton, Yeovil District Hospital, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Derriford Hospital Plymouth and Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro.
At each shared care unit, there will be a dedicated team supporting children with cancer. The aim will be to give as much treatment as is safe and appropriate for the child to receive in their local hospital.
If your child is required to be in hospital in Bristol, the Bristol team will aim to arrange local charity accommodation where required:
Treatment may be a single treatment method (eg surgery), or a combination of treatments (eg surgery and radiotherapy). The consultant (oncologist or haematologist) will discuss a suitable course of treatment designed for your child.
Your child's medical team will explain to you the specific drugs that will be used when the treatment plan has been agreed. Macmillan Cancer Support has comprehensive cancer drug information, but please note that this website covers both adult and paediatric cancer treatments.
Common treatment methods
Common treatment methods
Surgery: aims to remove the tumour during an operation
Chemotherapy: using anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells
Radiotherapy: using radiation to destroy cancer cells
Stem cell and bone marrow transplants: involving high doses of chemotherapy drugs followed by an infusion of blood stem cells
Immunotherapy: specific drugs that target particular cancer cells
Targeted therapy: drugs that work differently to chemotherapy by blocking specific proteins and genes in cancer cells.
TREATMENTS | The Oncology Guide - a comprehensive guide to treatment types
Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are medical research studies involving people. All new treatments have to be thoroughly tested. Clinical trials represent the gold standard for treating children's cancer. Wherever possible, children and teenagers from the South West are offered entry into relevant clinical trials.
Bristol is a recognized phase III trial centre and has open trials in a wide range of childhood malignancies, pharmokinetic and supportive care studies. It is one of small number of centres nationwide who are accredited for paediatric early phase clinical trials through the ITCC (Innovative Therapies in Children's Cancer consortium). Bristol is also a member of the Paediatric ECMC Network. All consultants are members of the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group and SIOP Europe.
Genomic Medicine
Genomic Medicine
Genomic medicine uses insights from a patient's DNA (called a genome) to inform their healthcare and cancer treatment.
Issues to think about during treatment
Issues to think about during treatment
Other issues to think about during treatment include:
Treatment beyond the South West
Treatment beyond the South West
The majority of children and adolescents will be treated in Bristol or the South West, but a few cancers will need to be treated elsewhere in the country. Those requiring surgery for liver tumours and bone sarcomas as part of their cancer treatment have their operations at surgical centres in Birmingham. In addition, patients with retinoblastoma are under the joint care of Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the National Retinoblastoma services in Birmingham or London. Other tumour surgery is performed here at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
More information on these hospitals can be found in the Our Hospitals section.
Helpful links
My Child Has Cancer (CCLG)
My child has just been diagnosed with cancer | Cancer Research UK
I Have Cancer | Young Lives vs Cancer
What Happens Next? | CCLG
Cancer information and support - Diagnosis | Macmillan Cancer Support
Cancer treatments and drugs A to Z | Macmillan Cancer Support | Please note that this website covers both adult and paediatric cancer treatments
Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Service | Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
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