Caroline Hastings, MD
Oakland Magazine Best East Bay Doctors 2007
(nat'l survery)
Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist
Medical School: Univeristy of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Residency: Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland
Board Certification:
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Language(s): English
News Room
Physician profile
Summary
Caroline Hastings, MD, has more than 15 years experience treating children with life-threatening cancers. She specializes in dealing with acute and relapsed leukemias and also works in the Neuro-Oncology program at Children’s.
Because there are so many children with leukemia, even as more are cured or go into remission, the number of children with relapsed leukemia continues to rise. There is also constant concern for children suffering complications from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Dr. Hastings continually explores new therapies and alternate approaches, called supportive care, to deal with these so-called “side-effects.”
In addition to practicing at Children’s Hospital Oakland, Dr. Hastings is the only pediatric hematologist and oncologist in Northern Nevada. She has single-handedly helped establish a successful hematology/oncology program there.
Dr. Hastings also researches alternative treatments for childhood cancers. She has written protocols for a study calling for different therapies for different subtypes of cancer. She co-chairs a national study of treatments for children with relapsed leukemia.
Compelling Fact
In the United States about 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every year. That translates into two average-sized classrooms of young people diagnosed each school day
*Sources: CureSearch and Independent Television Service
http://www.curesearch.org/our_research/index_sub.aspx?id=1475
http://www.itvs.org/outreach/lioninthehouse/campaign.html
Expertise
- Acute leukemia
- Relapsed leukemia
- Supportive care of children with cancer
- Brain tumors
Acute Leukemia
Leukemia is cancer of the bone marrow, the spongy center of bones where blood cells are manufactured. In a child with leukemia, white blood cells multiply at an abnormal rate. But new leukemic cells are not mature enough to fight infections; they eventually crowd out healthy normal cells. “Acute” leukemia is cancer that progresses rapidly.
Supportive care of children with cancer
Thanks to today's advanced medicine about 76 percent of children with cancer survive. But today's more intensive treatments may includ several toxic chemotherapy agents, surgery and radiation. Suppotive care for children with cancer uses new therapies and alternative approaches to help patients maintain greater quality of life during treatment.
Professional and Personal background
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