OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital's Brain Tumor Program offers your child the most comprehensive, advanced treatment for brain and spinal cord tumors. Like you, we are committed to achieving the best possible outcome for your child or teen. We offer:

• World-class pediatric neurosurgeons and neuro-oncologists
• A collaborative, team-based approach
• Experts in treating children and teens
• Leading-edge technology and research
• Comprehensive support services for your child and family

Learn more

• Understanding brain and spinal cord tumors
• Brain tumor symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
• Resources for patients and families
• Pediatric Brain Tumor Board
• Outcomes

Top minds together

Doernbecher has the region’s only Brain Tumor Program with a team of experts in neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, research and other fields devoted exclusively to pediatric patients.

• Our doctors trained at some of the top U.S. children’s hospitals. They have expertise in the latest techniques and technologies. They are also part of collaborative networks that enable them to confer with colleagues nationwide.
• Our Pediatric Brain Tumor Board brings together specialists in neurosurgery, pediatric brain tumors, neurology, imaging and tumor diagnosis each week to go over cases in detail.
• Our chief neurologist is an internationally known scientist making strides with OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute in fighting pediatric brain tumors at the molecular level. This next-generation cancer research puts us in the top tier of U.S. children’s programs.

The latest technology

We have the West Coast’s only child-focused intraoperative MRI suite for the most precise tumor removal. This results in better outcomes and fewer follow-up surgeries. We also offer world-class expertise in minimally invasive techniques such as neuroendoscopy, giving patients better results and shorter hospital stays.

Comprehensive care

We treat every phase of your child’s care, from diagnosis to long-term survivorship.

• Our neurosurgery team will take you through the first steps of diagnosis and tumor removal. Our neurosurgeons are international experts in treating pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors. They also have access to the most sophisticated technology, ensuring that your child's surgery is as safe as possible.
• Our neuro-oncology team meets with you and your family early on to offer support and services even before test results come back. This team, led by pediatricians who are experts in brain and spinal cord tumors, guides you and your child through every step of treatment.
• We offer your child and family support services from specially trained social workers, education specialists and others.
• As a research partner with the nation’s top pediatric cancer centers, we give patients access to a network of clinical trials. That includes Oregon’s only access to Phase I clinical trials, offering hope to children for whom other treatments have failed.
• Our specialists treat side effects of cancer treatment, including taking steps to lessen nausea, to protect hearing and to preserve your child’s reproductive health.
• Our Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program addresses the long-term effects of cancer treatment.

Our excellence

We work with our OHSU partner program, the Knight Cancer Institute and its $1 billion Knight Cancer Challenge, on research breakthroughs. As part of the institute’s prestigious accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, Doernbecher meets all 36 of the commission’s standards.