In recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Stephanie Massaro, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Director, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and Director, Pediatric Palliative Care, discusses how she and her colleagues approach treatment.
As we honor Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, what do you want our patients and families to pause and remember?
Our patients and their families demonstrate incredible strength and resilience across their cancer care journey. As pediatric cancer care providers, it is our honor and privilege to support them.
How do you collaborate with your colleagues at Smilow Cancer Hospital to care for your patients?
Our interdisciplinary team is focused on providing comprehensive medical and psychosocial care for our pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients.
What inspires you to work in pediatric oncology?
I am grateful for the opportunity to work with children and their families, to establish a trusting therapeutic relationship, and to honor the innocence and joy of childhood.
What advances have made the biggest impact in the treatment of pediatric oncology patients over the last five years?
Our pediatric patients benefit from continued basic science and clinical research endeavors that inform therapeutic trials aimed at improving outcomes for children with cancer.
Clinical trials are often the best option for therapy. How do you explain this to the families of patients who are hesitant?
I explain that clinical trials advance our knowledge of therapeutic interventions that result in increased cure rates and improved quality of life for childhood cancer survivors.