Cancer and Blood Disorders Tests and Treatments at Children's Hospital Colorado

What to Expect

Doctors use a variety of tests to diagnose possible cancer and blood disorders in children, teens and young adults. These tests are also often used on an ongoing basis in your child’s follow-up care and serve as a foundation in the excellent cancer and blood disorders care provided at Children's Hospital Colorado. Children's Hospital Colorado Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders includes state-of-the-art facilities for MRI, MIBG scanning, PET CT scanning, cytogenteic evaluation, multi channel flow cytometry, conformal radiation therapy as well as stereotactic radiosurgery. Not to mention, Children's Hospital Colorado provides cancer and blood disorders care through our Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit, and other services such as interventional radiology and non-invasive surgery when needed.

Tests and Treatments Just for Kids and Teens

As a parent, it is important for you to know that our doctors, nurses and technicians are specially trained to explain these procedures to your child and help him or her feel as comfortable as possible during their tests.  It is also important that our equipment is designed to fit the various sizes of the children, teens and young adults we treat.  This means our testing is accurate and as comfortable as possible.

At your first visit your child will undergo a detailed history and physical examination. Depending on the circumstances most patients will have blood tests performed. Many will also have x-ray examinations (such as CT scans). If your child has already had x-rays, those will be reviewed at this visit as well as any tissue that has been biopsied. Your physician will review all these results with you and discuss what will happen next to make a final diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. Oftentimes patients are then admitted to the hospital for these additional evaluations.  All procedures that are potentially painful such as bone marrows or spinal taps are performed under anesthesia. Children's Hospital Colorado has private rooms available so that parents can stay with their child.