Learning that your child has a brain or spinal cord tumor is scary. This diagnosis is received by approximately 3,000 children in the United States each year. The neuro-oncologists at Riley at IU Health and the Indiana University Health Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center treat children who have these tumors.
While the diagnosis is scary, you can rest assured knowing that your child's Riley at IU Health team will work hard to provide the best treatment options for him or her. You will be surrounded and supported by a team that will provide the in-depth information you need in order to be informed and make decisions as well as a treatment plan that works for your family.
The care of patients with brain tumors requires multiple specialists viewing and treating the condition from all angles. The Neuro-Oncology Program at Riley at IU Health provides this comprehensive care. Each doctor and healthcare provider on your child's medical team is an expert in their own area of care. In addition to neuro-oncologists, this team may include radiation oncologists, neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons. Additional support is provided by nurses, nurse practitioners and care coordinators.
These specialists and care providers join together to treat the whole patient. This open and giving environment among the group ensures shared knowledge between all team members. Our inclusive view allows for the best patient care and treatment plan possible.
The neuro-oncologists at Riley at IU Health recognize the value of research. In partnership with the Indiana University Health Simon Cancer Center, the Neuro-Oncology Program at Riley at IU Health participates in research that gives our patients access to the newest developments and treatments for brain and spinal cord tumors. Riley at IU Health is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group Phase I & Pilot Consortium, a national pediatric oncology research consortium. This membership provides early access to the newest clinical trials. We understand that research done today will make patient care better tomorrow. Lessons learned in labs and clinical trials are applied to the daily and long-term treatment plans of our patients.
In addition to clinical trials that explore leading edge treatments, other research efforts include collaboration with nursing and palliative care teams. This research explores the best ways to provide care to both patients and their families, ensuring the most holistic treatment available.
Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.
The expert team of doctors with the Neuro-Oncology Program at Riley at IU Health focuses specifically on the treatment of children with brain and spinal cord tumors.
In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.
Pediatric Cancer & Blood Diseases
11700 N Meridian St
Carmel, IN 46032
Pediatric Cancer & Blood Diseases
575 Riley Hospital Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46202
We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related departments.
Healthcare professionals can refer patients to Riley at IU Health by calling the Indiana Medical Access and Communications System (IMACS) at 317.916.3500 or 800.622.4989. You may also contact our brain tumor coordinator by phone at 317.274.8586 or email at rileybraintumor@iuhealth.org, or you can send a fax to 317.274.8587.
Riley at IU Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.
Refer A PatientResearch is conducted through the Molecular Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics research group at the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research. The center conducts basic science research as well as translational research. Translational research allows the science innovations discovered in the lab to support the day-to-day work inside the clinical practice.
Researchers within the Wells Center receive more than $9 million each year in federal research funds and grants. Funding support comes from various organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Cancer Society.
The Neuro-Oncology Program is part of the Cancer & Blood Diseases Department at Riley at IU Health. This department works daily to train the next generation of pediatric oncologists and researchers. Riley at IU Health is actively affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine and the IU Health Simon Cancer Center. Through this affiliation, we offer a pediatric oncology/hematology fellowship. The fellowship program boasts a three-year training format, with two new fellows chosen each year.
