The medical professionals at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital believe no child should have to leave South Florida to receive world-class, life-saving cancer care.
Nicklaus Children’s Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive and innovative pediatric oncology programs. The hospital brings together advanced diagnostics, treatment and long-term monitoring for the full spectrum of childhood cancers and blood disorders. An Orthopedic Oncology Program, part of its Orthopedic, Sports Medicine & Spine Institute, is one of fewer than 10 such pediatric programs in the nation offering advanced and innovative treatment for bone tumors, cysts and sarcomas. Innovative procedures seek to give children the best chance at mobility and long-term quality of life.
Specialized Programs Under One Roof
One such procedure is bone regrowth. This complex technique rebuilds bone removed during complex surgeries by slowly shifting a segment of existing bone to fill gaps. Custom implants designed with 3D scanning allow bone to grow as the child grows - without additional surgery. In fact, 90% of cancers that historically might have resulted in limb amputation now see limbs saved and quality of life restored, notes Thomas Utset Ward, a pediatric orthopedic oncologist with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
Nicklaus Children’s blood and marrow transplant program treats patients with diseases and cancers of the blood, including leukemias and lymphomas. As South Florida’s first and most experienced such programs, this Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT)-accredited program consistently achieves outcomes that exceed national benchmarks.
The hospital’s Neuro-Oncology Program brings together neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, radiation oncologists, and rehabilitation specialists to treat benign and malignant brain tumors.
Cutting-edge advancements are allowing doctors to elevate quality of life right from the surgical suite. In 2025, when bone cancer forced the amputation of a teenager’s arm below the elbow, surgeons simultaneously prepared his nerves to receive a myoelectric prosthesis. Within days, the teen was controlling all five fingers of his “bionic arm,” Dr. Utset Ward says.
Clinical trials exploring precision, oncology medicine and other innovations are a cornerstone of the Shaham Institute. More than 40 active clinical studies against pediatric cancer provide access to emerging therapies not available elsewhere. Research collaborations with leading groups, including the Children’s Oncology Group, Beat Childhood Cancer, and the CONNECT consortium, allow Nicklaus Children’s to help shape global pediatric cancer care. A functional precision medicine partnership with Florida International University is testing more than 120 FDA-approved drugs on each patient’s tumor sample to identify the most effective personalized therapies. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is one of only three sites in North America studying low-frequency focused ultrasound to offer hope to children with one of the most lethal childhood brain tumors.
Because children with these diagnoses face unique medical, emotional, and psychological challenges, Nicklaus Children’s counts on a holistic, family-centered model. Each patient is surrounded by a highly coordinated team of pediatric oncologists, surgeons, hematologists, nurses, psychologists, palliative care specialists, child life experts, social workers, dietitians, spiritual counselors. Together, they work to ensure that every patient receives the best in world-class cancer care.
