Pediatric Oncology in Amarillo, Texas

Northwest Children’s Hospital is dedicated to providing comprehensive cancer care for children. As the only pediatric oncology center in the area, we know the impact pediatric cancer has on children and their families. We are proud to provide care for children of West Texas, the Panhandle, Southwestern Oklahoma and Eastern New Mexico.

Fighting Pediatric Cancer

Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in the U.S. for children past infancy. The American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) estimates that 15,780 children will be diagnosed with cancer per year nationwide. This means that 1 in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before they turn 20.

According to the National Cancer Institute, leukemias are the most common type of pediatric cancer. The list of common pediatric cancers also includes brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors, malignant bone tumors and lymphomas.

If you or someone in your family is facing pediatric cancer, know you are not alone. The specialized children’s cancer center at Northwest Texas Healthcare System is here to support you and your loved ones. Survival rates for pediatric cancer have increased significantly over the past decade. This is thanks to constant scientific and technological advances and dedicated physicians, like the ones at Northwest Children’s Hospital.

Northwest Children’s Hospital is also proud to partner with Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics in Amarillo. This partnership enables us to provide advanced childhood cancer care, close to home.

Children's Oncology Group Treatment Center

Although adult and pediatric cancer may appear similar, the way cancer appears and treatment options can be very different in children. According to the ACCO, children treated at specialized centers tend to have better outcomes than patients at local hospitals. Specialized children’s cancer centers are hospitals with trained pediatric oncology healthcare teams. These teams are dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of child and adolescent cancers.

Dr. Samer Zaid Kaylani explains the Treatment Center’s Approach: “Life doesn’t stop just because your child is diagnosed. So what we’re trying to offer these families is an easy way where we take care of their child, while they keep their lives as normal as possible.”

Teaming Up with Texas Tech Physicians

Northwest Texas Healthcare System and Texas Tech Physicians are working together to provide comprehensive research-backed cancer care for children.

Smita Bhaskaran, MD, and Samer Zaid Kaylani, MD, are pediatric hematology-oncology specialists from Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics. They collaborate with service providers at Northwest Texas Healthcare System to provide high-quality care in a specialized cancer center. Texas Tech provides care to residents throughout the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics provides primary and specialty services. It is a medical practice of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. Healthcare practitioners at Texas Tech Physicians are also leading educators and researchers. Their expertise gives children access to the latest in medical technology and patient care.

The team at Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics is dedicated to serving children in general pediatrics and eight different subspecialties. These physicians work to keep kids healthy, while also educating families on preventive measures to help care for their children.