Pediatric

Our multi-disciplinary approach

From june 2018 onwards all Dutch children with oncological disorders will be treated by the Prinses Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology. Our radiation oncologists take part in the multi-disciplinary meetings related to their treatment as we are the only center in the Netherlands to treat pediatric cancers with proton therapy. If proton therapy is indicated, clinical care of the child will be transferred to us for the duration of the treatment. We will also administer chemotherapy in conjunction with the radiation therapy, should this be indicated. After completion of the proton therapy treatment, any subsequent treatments and medical examinations will take place at the Prinses Maxima Center.

We offer the most advanced proton therapy treatments using image-guided IMPT (intensity-modulated proton therapy). Very young children will be put under deep sedation or general anesthesia during CT / MRI / PET-CT imaging and during delivery of the radiation treatment. If needed, the children can be admitted to the UMCG Beatrix Children’s Hospital for the duration of the treatment period.

You can find more information about our treatment techniques here.

Proton therapy

As of January 2018 we offer proton therapy for selected indications. Patients suffering from childhood cancer are a so-called ‘standard indication’ and are eligible for proton therapy. 

Radiation treatment of children

We want to prepare you and your child as good as possible, should your child require a radiotherapy treatment. The radiation oncologist will inform you and your child about the details of the treatment process. We will assign a buddy, who will serve as a personal companion to your child. The buddy will be present during the preparatory steps and the radiation treatment. He or she will explain everything about our department and the treatment, and can answer any question you and your child may have.

Your child may be admitted to the UMCG Beatrix Children's Hospital for the duration of the treatment. They may already inform you about the upcoming treatment.

Educational video's

To help prepare your child for his or her treatment, our department has developed a 360-degree video tour of the radiotherapy treatment process, with a special version for children and youngsters.

We also recommend watching the animated movie 'One of a kind! A guide to radiotherapy', in which the main character Jenny explains what she sees and experiences at the department of radiation oncology.

A. Bannink-Gawryszuk, MD

Specialization:
Melanoma's
Neurological tumors
Pediatric tumors

M.A.A.M. Heesters, MD, PhD

Specialization:
AVM
Brain tumors
CNS tumors (adults and children)
Pediatric tumors
Trigeminal neuralgia

J.H. Maduro, MD, PhD

Specialization:
Breast tumours
Pediatric tumors

H.L. van der Weide, MD

Specialization:
Brain tumors
CNS tumors (adults and children)
Pediatric tumors
Pituitary tumors
Trigeminal neuralgia

There currently are no active clinical trials and research studies.