Initial diagnosis

If you are a referring physician and suspect your patient has cancer, you may be seeking guidance on how to talk with the patient and family and what diagnostics and lab tests are appropriate at this time. One of our oncologists will work with you to determine the next best steps in the child's care and answer any questions you may have. Please call us from Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on our PHYSICIAN-ONLY line: 888-ONC-CHOP (888-662-2467)

Outside of these hours, please call 215-590-1000 and ask for the oncology fellow on call. You may also reach us by sending an email.

Second opinions

If you have a patient whose cancer is relapsed or refractory and has proven to be resistant to standard treatments, you may wish to arrange a second opinion consultation to explore:

• Clinical trials
• Proton therapy
• Surgical oncology
• Other innovative treatment programs

At the Cancer Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, our oncologists and cancer care staff work collaboratively with you as the primary oncologist, making recommendations, keeping you informed, and helping determine a course of treatment that best serves the child, whether a family chooses CHOP for one or all components of the patient's treatment.

Here's what we will need in order to perform a thorough second opinion evaluation:

Patient summary

• Age
• Address
• Parent or guardian contact information
• Insurance information

Complete clinical summary

• Physician's name and contact information
• Diagnosis, or working diagnosis, and list of presenting symptoms
• Diagnostic materials (tumor biopsy slides/tissue blocks)
• Diagnostic scans (X-ray, CT, MRI, bone scan, PET scan, MIBG scan) including actual scans or biopsy slides when available
• All clinical reports available, including:
• Laboratory
• Pathology
• Surgery
• Radiation therapeutic summary
• Copy of any existing treatment plan