Because your child’s story matters, and we don’t stop until cancer does.
childhood cancer diagnosis changes everything. UF Health offers nationally ranked care for children, teens and young adults with cancer and blood disorders. Our pediatric specialists provide advanced, research-driven cancer treatment.
Our nationally ranked pediatric cancer team provides advanced care at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
Our team uses research to guide cancer care. We also offer clinical trial access. Clinical trials test new ways to prevent, find or treat cancer.
We are not just treating children with cancer. We are changing the future of how childhood cancer is cured.
Our compassionate team of pediatric cancer specialists provides exceptional care while advancing treatments. Through our work, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital has earned recognition as one of the nation’s best pediatric cancer programs. We are also honored to be the No. 1 program in Florida according to the 2026–2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
We work with researchers across the University of Florida's six Health Science Center colleges. We also collaborate with UF's prestigious health institutes, including:
The UF Health Cancer Institute received National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation in 2023.
The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health. It recognizes cancer centers that meet standards for cancer research and patient care.
The UF Health Cancer Institute is one of 74 NCI-designated cancer centers in the United States.
UF Health researchers study new ways to find and treat pediatric cancer. Their research helps support new treatments for young adult cancer and childhood cancer.
The Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Department at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG).
COG is a national group that studies childhood cancer comprised of four national pediatric cancer research groups. Doctors and researchers in COG test new cancer treatments through clinical trials.
Clinical trials allow doctors to study new treatments with patients who meet the study requirements.
Our patients can take part in COG clinical trials when they qualify. These trials follow research plans approved by the national group.
As an academic health center, our clinicians and scientists participate in research to improve patient outcomes with access to the latest treatments. UF Health's combination of research, technology and advanced care results in better outcomes and quality of life for our cancer patients and their families.
UF Health provides care for a wide range of common childhood cancer and blood disorders, and rare cancer types, including:
Germ cell tumors
Hepatoblastoma
Nonmalignant hematologic conditions
At UF Health, we tailor cancer care to your child’s individual medical, emotional and developmental needs. Care goes beyond diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation, survivorship, and ongoing supportive services.
UF Health pediatric cancer specialists offer innovative and advanced treatments, including:
Chemotherapy, including intrapleural
Ovarian-sparing surgery
Ovarian transposition
Gene therapy for sickle cell disease and hemophilia
Limb-sparing surgery
Pulmonary metastasectomy
Radiofrequency ablation
Specialized radiation therapy
Thoracotomy for osteosarcoma and other metastatic tumors
Tumor embolization
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is the first and leading proton therapy facility in the Southeast. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, our expert physicians have treated more than 10,000 patients and over 20 cancer types, helping patients around the world achieve excellent success and quality of life.
Our multidisciplinary team includes:
We also offer a wide range of supportive services to care for the whole child and family, including:
The Pediatric Cancer Survivorship Clinic is available to help improve the health and well-being of pediatric cancer survivors and their families through identification and follow up of medical and psychosocial programs that emerge after treatment has been completed.
Licensed clinical pediatric cancer social workers are educated and skilled to assist with the psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual issues that often arise when a child is diagnosed with cancer.
Certified Child Life specialists work in partnership with families, doctors, nurses, and other caregivers to meet the unique emotional and developmental needs of children and families. These services are available in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. You can request a consultation by calling (352) 594-6470 or asking your medical team for a referral.
Streetlight is an adolescent and young adult support program here at UF Health for teens and young adults aged 13-25 living with cancer, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, and other chronic and life-limiting illnesses. The services are available during a patient’s admission to Shands Hospital.
Our program offers comprehensive neuropsychological testing to our patients with cancer and benign blood disorders. Our reports offer advice to parents and teachers to improve the lives and performance of our patient at school, work and in society.
Our program offers comprehensive dietary counseling and health coaching to our patients to improve their health during and after treatment.
Our program provides comprehensive palliative care using a multidisciplinary team approach to patients with all our patients with chronic illnesses.
Our program provides oncofertility counseling and cutting edge fertility preservation technologies to our adolescent and young adult patients.
Our program offers a dedicated social worker, oncofertility counseling and specialized therapies designed specifically for AYA patients.
Our programs are designed to transform the hospital experience for patients, visitors, caregivers and staff and to promote health and wellness through the arts within the community.
Footprints: Buddy and Support Program is a student-run volunteering and community service organization benefiting UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital
Our mission is to give every child the best chance for a cure. We do this by combining exceptional care with the full power of discovery. UF Health looks beyond conventional treatment to explore every appropriate option. We offer advanced therapies and innovative clinical trials.
Our promise is to care for the whole child and stand with the entire family through every step. UF Health will keep searching, innovating and moving forward. Because your child’s story matters, and we don’t stop until cancer does.
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