Diagnostic and Support Services

The Cancer and Blood Disease Institute is supported by a range of hospital diagnostic and support services.

Dentistry

The Division of Dentistry and Orthodontics is aligned with the acclaimed USC School of Dentistry to provide routine and specialized dental and orthodontic care to 3,500 children and adolescents each year, including those with medically complicating conditions such as cancer and hemophilia. Many of our patients are unable to see a general pediatric dentist in the community. The Division’s expert staff rounds out our program of care.

Pain Management

When necessary, we call upon the expert services of the Comfort, Pain Management and Palliative Care Program. It provides round-the-clock consultation on appropriate pain management therapies and the use of such complementary medicine modalities as massage, pet therapy and other wellness techniques.

Pathology

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine reinforces our capabilities for accurate and timely diagnoses. A team of clinical and anatomical pathologists, led by an expert in cancer cell biology, is specially trained to test for illness and identify disease or abnormal growths in tissues. Among their advanced diagnostic techniques is molecular genetics, which studies the structure and function of genes at the molecular level.

Pharmacy

Clinical pharmacists located within our clinic on the 5th floor assist with formulations for drug treatments, using protocols for best practice cancer care. Pharmacists optimize the protocol based on each child’s height, weight and kidney function.

Blood Donor Center

The hospital's Blood Donor Center collects blood and platelet donations at the hospital and in community blood drives to help children who need these vital blood components. Transfusion medicine specialists prepare blood for use, test for compatibility and manage the platelet, red cell and plasma inventory. Each year, caring for children hospital-wide requires 20,000 units of blood or blood components.